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About Us

illustrated map of Texas and Mexico

Our growing story begins…

In Tecoman, Colima, Mexico where Cesar Ramirez, Lance A. Peterson and Nazario Rodriguez worked for David R. Peterson at Starr de Mexico managing operations for Starr Produce Co. out of Rio Grande City, Texas with farms in Colima.

In 2006, Starr Produce Co. halted the farming business to focus on real estate development. As a result, a new company named Red Starr began in Tecoman, Colima and Super Starr International began in Texas with Cesar, Nazario and Lance participating as partners.

At first, Super Starr International was started to help with the collections from the sales of papayas and honeydews. After working in conjunction with other produce sales companies in the Rio Grande Valley, in 2016 Super Starr International opened up its own shed for receiving papayas and began to conduct its own sales.

Today...

our customers find that working directly with us, the grower, is the best way to save money and ensure the best fruit is shipped time after time. Our rich experience and established reputation growing melons and papayas in Mexico for over 25 years gives our customers confidence that the product they receive is a product that has been grown with high integrity by people they can trust.

As a leader in the winter honeydew and watermelon market from southern Mexico and in the Mexican papaya industry, Super Starr International and our sister company, Red Starr, are leaders in advancing growing techniques and producing new and high quality varietals that people enjoy with their families across America, day in and day out.

Our approach to food safety is in a league of its own. In 2012, when the Food and Drug Association (FDA) was forced to stop papayas from shipping from Mexico because of salmonella, our product was the first to be approved and placed on the green-list for consumption.

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Mexico

In 1991, A.V.'s son, David Peterson, moved to Colima, Mexico, to work more closely with our partners and farmers, which cemented our tightknit relationship with the Colima community.

honeydew, seedless watermelon, and papaya

Building on the successful papaya crops, we quickly expanded our crops to include honeydew melons and seedless watermelons, becoming one of the first to grow seedless watermelons in Mexico.

rain drops falling on a plant

Along with our close friends Cesar and Nazario Rodriguez, we are committed to sustainable farming and have worked tirelessly with researchers at Texas A&M University to introduce drip irrigation to our own and other farms throughout the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico.

plant

We have conducted years of seed trials to develop tastier, sweeter, longer lasting and more productive varieties that are optimal for growing in our farms' climate and terrain.