(July 10) Sunkist is marketing test volumes of Chilean and South African citrus in selected international markets this summer to help position the company to become a global citrus supplier.

The citrus cooperative had a short-lived foray into marketing foreign-sourced produce under the Sunkist label when it brought about 350,000 cartons of Argentine lemons to the U.S. market in 2000.

A U.S. district court ruling in October 2001 ended Argentina’s access to the U.S. market, citing inadequate science employed by the USDA to permit imports in 2000.

WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS

Sunkist’s new efforts are a move to meet customer demands, said Mike Wootton, vice president of corporate affairs for Sunkist Growers Inc., Sherman Oaks, Calif.

He noted the Sunkist board of directors — all growers — voted 25-1 in May to begin the process of global sourcing.

“I think the grower community would probably prefer it to be otherwise, but the markets have demanded it, and it’s incumbent on us to provide what the marketplace is demanding,” he said.

Last year, Sunkist brought small test volumes of Chilean lemons to the U.S. market.

This year Sunkist is marketing South African citrus, as well as some Chilean lemons to selected Asian markets, he said.

“Our customer base has demanded that we provide nontraditional varieties of citrus without regards to seasonality of traditional production areas,” he said.

DOWN THE ROAD

Meanwhile, the U.S. market itself figures to be a destination for Sunkist-labeled fruit from the Southern Hemisphere at some point, he said — providing that import varieties are compatible with domestic production and the needs in the marketplace.

“That produce is coming into the U.S. to the tune of 1 million cartons out of Chile and 1 million cartons out of South Africa. Whether it is us or somebody else, that produce is going to be getting in here,” he said.