Train used to transport Mexican watermelons within the U.S.
Giumarra Nogales successfully delivered its first shipment of Mexican produce by railroad and says it plans to make full use of this transportation method in the future. 
The company shipped watermelons grown in the northern Mexican state of Sonora to Maryland in the U.S. by a 50-foot refrigerated railcar from Nogales, Arizona in May. It is reportedly the first time in decades that produce grown in Mexico has been shipped via train.
Giumarra worked with Sonora-based Pacific Brokerage to coordinate a full shipment of the melons, which are said to have arrived in good condition. One railcar can hold three times the capacity of a single truck.
The company's division manager Gil Munguia said in a release the fruit's characteristics made it suitable for railroad transportation.
"Although our delivery had a few challenges, we feel the overall success of the trip demonstrates that watermelons are sturdy enough to handle rail shipment, and it may be a viable option for us in the future," Munguia said.
Giumarra's sales manager Cesar Pacheco worked with Pacific Brokerage over three years to find a railroad company that wanted to be involved with the project.
With the help of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and the Port of Tucson they ended up with Union Pacific and CSX Corporation, who agreed to a trial program.
Pacheco said he was looking forward to using the railcar on a regular basis in the future as it was more environmentally-friendly than conventional methods.
"With the success of our first run, we hope to push skepticism to the side and grab the attention of the railroads for future projects," Pacheco said.
"We can move one [metric] ton of cargo more than 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel using rail. We believe this will help minimize the carbon footprint of long-haul shipping."
Giumarra said it also intended to ship honeydew melons, winter squash, and cucumbers within the rail pilot program. The next planned shipment will be for Chicago on a larger 64-foot railcar.
Photo: www.shutterstock.com
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