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Top commodities include red peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, and tomatoes, and many of these products come from Mexico’s expanding protected agriculture sector, including shade houses and greenhouses.
Diversity
Market merchants are also diversifying. Richard Travers, co-owner of Travers Fruit Company, Inc., a receiver on the NEPC, says the company recently started selling western apples and pears, and Northwest cherries.
In the past, Messinger points out, Boston vendors were very specialized and just handled certain commodities, but many houses are now carrying an increasingly broad product line.
“Guys who used to just sell potatoes and onions or who were strictly tomatoes are starting to spread their wings,” Messinger comments. Sometimes, it’s happenstance: a vendor hires a new salesperson with extensive knowledge of a particular region or certain types of commodities, and then begins handling new items.
MARKET STATS
New England Produce CenterLocation:
310 Riley Way
Chelsea, MA 02150Phone: 617-889-2700
Fax: 617-889-5309
General Manager: John Lucero
Hours:
5:00 am to 1:00 pm, daily
Daunting Challenges
From labor to a still struggling economy, vendors at the BMT and NEPC have contended with a number of challenges over the past year.
For one, transportation shortages remain an issue for Boston produce businesses. “Trucks at certain times of the year are in very short supply,” says Sharrino.
Labor
Good labor is hard to keep as well. “Finding good people is always a challenge,” agrees Messinger. “We’ve had a lot of growth here and have had to hire more staff. We have good employees, but it’s always hard to find the right people.”
Weather
While Boston suppliers have faced quite a few obstacles throughout the year, one particularly chilly challenge seems to stand out: the winter wallop of 2015. Though the season got off to a slow start, the city was slammed with a six-week snow assault starting in January. “It was a strange winter, it all came in one shot,” observes Burke. “Up until January, we didn’t have any snow. Then all hell broke loose.”
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