Latest News From Citrus

An updated nutrition book for citrus growers is available from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

California summer fruit grower-shippers traditionally credit weather with having a say in what kind of season they’ll have.

Produce importer Jac. Vandenberg, Yonkers, N.Y., is replacing citrus bag plastic netting with a compostable netting made from beech tree pulp.

Dulcinea brand citrus feature new high-graphic packaging, with different colors to differentiate oranges and mandarins.

AgriCoat-NatureSeal Ltd., Berkshire, United Kingdom, has introduced a new addition to its Semperfresh line of coatings that prolongs fresh produce shelf life

Florida agriculture leaders are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to rescind an agreement to allow certain citrus varieties from China into the U.S.

TerraFresh Organics, Mill Valley, Calif., has hired Lorena Garcia as director of sales and business development.

Suntreat Packing & Shipping Co., Dinuba, Calif., has donated citrus to New York City, the hotspot for COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S.

Anthony Johnson has joined Hronis Inc., Delano, Calif., as a domestic sales associate.

Sunkist Growers is donating lemons to hospitals in the Santa Clarita, Calif., area during the COVID-19 crisis.

Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, Calif., has rebranded, with a new logo and packaging design.

Veg-Fresh Farms, Corona, Calif., has an exclusive partnership with Doc’s Organics, distributing organic lemons, grapefruit, minneolas and limes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on a proposal to allow South African citrus imports at all U.S. ports, without the current cold treatment requirement now in place.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking comments on a pest risk assessment on U.S. imports of pummelo from Vietnam.

About 50 growers in California’s Ojai Valley in Ventura County have begun harvest pixie tangerines.

Sunkist Growers treated Montreal residents to a bright, garden-themed pop-up to escape the winter blues.

Veg-Fresh Farms, Corona, Calif., has formed a partnership with citrus grower-packer Redlands Foothill Groves, giving Veg-Fresh customers access to year-round citrus.

China will allow its importers to apply for substantial tariff relief on U.S. fruit starting in early March.

Vero Beach, Fla.-based IMG Citrus plans to showcase its new white grapefruit at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure.

Aija Paolillo is the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension citrus agent for DeSoto, Hardee and Manatee counties.

U.S. imports of both fruits and vegetables increased moderately in 2019, new trade figures reveal.

Exports of U.S. fresh fruits declined by 6% in 2019, while exports of U.S. fresh vegetables increased by 4%.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture have established a Mexican fruit fly quarantine in Willacy County, Texas.

State and federal agencies have expanded California’s huanglongbing quarantined area after detections of the citrus disease.

LGS Specialty Sales, New Rochelle, N.Y., has started its Moroccan w. murcott season, importing the clementines through April.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Fowler, Calif.-based grower-packer-shipper Bee Sweet Citrus highlights its specialty citrus for the holiday promotion.

Pummelos and oranges once again came out on top on Produce Market Guide during the week of Jan. 27, with cucumbers holding on at No. 3.

Citrus fruits enjoy a loyal organic following. Families with kids really favor organic oranges.

DiSilva Fruit, Chelsea, Mass., is expanding its Morning Kiss Organic mandarin program.

Pro Citrus Network, Visalia, Calif., has a new brand of seedless red mandarins, the MandaRosa.

The German retail organization EDEKA Group is featuring citrus treated with Apeel Science’s shelf-life extender in select stores.

Veg-Fresh Farms, Corona, Calif., has opened a sales office in La Quinta, Calif., to handle an expanding citrus and melon. Program

Patagonia Orchards LLC has added a second grower to boost its output of organic citrus.

Dole Food Co. has discontinued its line of Dole Organic Salad Kits to concentrate on the development of other organic products.

Pummelos and oranges maintained their lead on Produce Market Guide for the third week in a row.

Pummelos and oranges maintained a firm 1-2 lead on Produce Market Guide the week of Jan. 6, while specialty seville oranges garnered the No. 3 spot.

Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers Inc. will be among California growers exporting navel oranges to Vietnam starting this season.

The U.S. citrus industry continues to cope with citrus greening disease.

Mandarins continue to gain popularity among consumers, often at the expense of navel oranges. But it’s way too soon to count navels out.

California growers were somewhat happier with the way this year’s citrus season was shaping up compared to last year.

Pummelos and oranges retained their No. 1 and No. 2 rankings on Produce Market Guide the week of Dec. 30, with lettuce shooting up to No. 3 from No. 15 the previous week.

Bee Sweet Citrus, Fowler, Calif., is celebrating California’s history of family farms and the company’s Heirloom Navel program with a month-long digital campaign.

Distributor Salix Fruits ended 2019 with 30% growth over 2018, in part because of its imported Argentine lemon program in the U.S.

The new U.S.-Japan trade agreement will deliver a tariff reduction and higher safeguard levels for U.S. orange shipments, and that should translate to a moderate increase in U.S. orange exports to Japan in 2020.

South Africa citrus production and exports will continue to rise in 2020, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding the quarantine region in California for citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening.

The top seven commodities on Produce Market Guide held steady with only slight shuffling the week of Dec. 9, with mandarins and tangerines moving up to No. 3 from the previous week.

With winter and the height of citrus season in mind, Los Alamitos, Calif.-based Frieda’s Inc. is rolling out grab-and-go pouches for two specialty citrus offerings.

Vandervoet & Associates Inc. will have valencia oranges from northwest Mexico for the first time this year, starting with early varieties in January and then regular valencias in late winter/early spring.

U.S. orange production forecasts have remained steady in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest citrus report, but Florida should expect a slight increase over last year’s final production.