Double Date Packing Inc. delved into the date business a year ago, and their first season had them processing up to 5,000 pounds of Medjool dates per hour during the packing phase. Based in the warm Coachella Valley, a desert region of Southern California, the company gets its Medjool date supply from their own orchards as well as other growers in the area.
“Medjool Dates thrive in the Coachella Valley as date palm trees, which bear the fruit, prefer very hot weather, but dislike humidity, heavy rain and wind,” explained Tony Somohano of Double Date Packing. A bit of precipitation is good, at least for a date tree’s roots. “Dates like their feet in the water and their head in the sun,” Somohano elaborated.
Dates are a labor-intensive crop. The trees themselves, once planted, can take up to a decade to mature and grow fruit. Harvest occurs from late August through early October, and it's a long process.
“Sometimes our date pickers have to go up the same tree 10 to 15 times a season to get all the fruit,” explained Somohano. All that work can translate to higher prices when compared to other dried fruit commodities. As for demand, it is strongest outside the U.S.
“Right now we are shipping dates all over the world; to Australia, Europe, Canada and Switzerland, as the export market is stronger,” said Somohano.
Foreign markets appear more familiar with Medjool dates, and one challenging aspect of the industry is educating customers in the U.S. Somohano describes dates as being undervalued with most U.S. consumption stemming from health conscious regions of the nation.
“A lot of people are unfamiliar with dates, but as the general population figures out what dates are about, they will realize their phenomenal nutrient quality,” Somohano explained.
Dubbing them a “slow food,” dates are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and have favorable glycemic index, making them a satisfying snack that gives a sense of satiety. Date growers and producers call Medjool dates “nature’s perfect sweet treat.”
Double Date Packing sells various grades of dates in 11-pound and 5-pound boxes as well as several clam shells. The company focuses on supplying top quality, premium Medjool dates processed in a state of the art facility at a reasonable price. While harvested in the fall, dates can be stored in freezers and shipped year round.
