Growers are experiencing critically short supplies of both cantaloupe and honeydew melons, and prices are expected to climb until supply improves in July. The shortage is hitting at exactly the wrong time — summer demand is building and retail promotional windows are already set.
This follows earlier reporting on low cantaloupe yields out of Yuma, and the situation hasn't meaningfully improved. With Fourth of July demand accelerating, buyers who don't have volume locked in are going to feel this acutely over the next few weeks.
Watch for continued price pressure through late June. Buyers without committed supply should explore secondary sources now — waiting for the market to self-correct before July looks increasingly risky.