Latest News From Oranges

Researchers seek help from organic citrus growers to fight HLB

Researchers are contacting organic citrus growers for help in developing a holistic approach in battling citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing/HLB.

California Citrus Mutual supports domestic protection plans
California Citrus Mutual supports domestic protection plans

California Citrus Mutual is commending the Trump administration plan to protect domestic growers of seasonal produce.

USDA removes Mexfly quarantine in Texas citrus area
USDA removes Mexfly quarantine in Texas citrus area

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has removed a Mexican fruit fly quarantine area in Harlingen, Texas.

‘Orange is the new snack:’ Chilean citrus sees growth in pandemic

Chilean navel oranges are riding the wave of popularity the citrus category is seeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Limoneira sells orange, specialty citrus groves in California

Limoneira Co., Santa Paula, Calif., has sold land near Lindsay, Calif., that had almost 300 acres of orange and specialty citrus groves.

Bee Sweet Citrus ready for back-to-school plans
Bee Sweet Citrus ready for back-to-school plans

Bee Sweet Citrus, Fowler, Calif., is ready to be part of back-to-school plans, even if students are studying at home.

South Africa citrus promotion boosted by pandemic demand

Summer Citrus from South Africa has finished another successful consumer promotion, Here Comes the Sun.

Listeria on packing equipment sparks Freshouse citrus, potato recall
Listeria on packing equipment sparks Freshouse citrus, potato recall

Freshouse II LLC, Salisbury, N.C., is recalling citrus and potatoes that were packed on equipment on which Listeria monocytogenes was detected during routine testing.

Psyllid with bacteria found in commercial California grove

An adult Asian citrus psyllid found in a commercial grove in Riverside County has tested positive for  Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing.

Texas citrus growers assessing damage from Hurricane Hanna
Texas citrus growers assessing damage from Hurricane Hanna

Texas citrus growers are assessing the damage to the crop from Hurricane Hanna, but early estimates are 20% to 30% of the fruit was knocked off the trees

University of Florida updates HLB information online
University of Florida updates HLB information online

Citrus growers have a new resource in their fight against huanglongbing, aka HLB and citrus greening disease.

California researchers find promising HLB treatment

University of California-Riverside scientists have found a substance that can control huanglongbing, aka HLB, in a specialty citrus item.

Citrus greening treatment leads to AgTech Innovation Prize

TerMir Inc., Raleigh, N.C., has received a $100,000 AgTech Innovation Prize for its citrus greening disease treatment.

Cecelia Packing hires Angela Lopez-Avalos in sales

Angela Lopez-Avalos has joined Cecelia Packing Corp., Orange Cove, Calif., as sales associate.

Dandy brand clementines from Chile.
Duda’s Southern Hemisphere citrus season begins

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Oviedo, Fla., is starting its South American citrus import program.

Led by vegetables, retail fresh produce prices are up compared with June last year.  The latest Consumer Price Index shows inflation for meat and poultry is much higher than produce, however.
Grocery food price increase continues

The grocery bill keeps getting bigger for Americans.

Retail fresh fruit sales show meager gain

Retail fresh produce sales for the week ending June 28 rose at the lowest growth rate since April 19, according to research firm IRI scan data.

Certis USA donates for HLB research

Biopesticides company Certis USA has donated another $20,000 to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc., to help in its research on huanglongbing.

Retail produce sales remain elevated, but growth slows
Retail produce sales remain elevated, but growth slows

Fresh produce dollar sales growth fell below 10% for the first time in nearly two months as the timing of Father’s Day produced unfavorable sales comparisons for some items.

Honeydew hangs on to No. 1 on PMG
Honeydew hangs on to No. 1 on PMG

Honeydew melons maintained their No. 1 spot on PMG the week of June 15, while peaches and oranges shuffled to No. 2 and No. 3.

South African summer citrus begins weekly arrivals
South African summer citrus begins weekly arrivals

South African citrus season has officially kicked off in the U.S., with the arrival of a ship at the Port of Philadelphia carrying nearly 4,000 tons of fresh fruit.

Three citrus groups join forces with Florida Classic Growers
Three citrus groups join forces with Florida Classic Growers

Florida Classic Growers, Dundee, Fla., has a new partnership with three citrus groups that will expand its product offerings and increase distribution of citrus marketed under the company’s label.

Honeydew melons take No. 1 spot on PMG
Honeydew melons take No. 1 spot on PMG

Honeydew melons knocked cucumbers off the top spot on PMG the week of June 8, with the vegetable falling to No. 4.

Sunkist’s virtual United Fresh booth features virtual citrus grove

At United Fresh LIVE!, Sunkist Growers is sharing a sneak peek of the interactive “Sunkist Island,” a simulated orange grove experience that will be promoted in select export markets.

Chilean citrus starts, backed by online campaigns

The Chilean Citrus has moved the bulk of its consumer and trade marketing campaigns online this summer, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cucumbers take top spot on PMG
Cucumbers take top spot on PMG

The PMG top 20 was all shook up the week of June 1 as cucumbers knocked Haitian mangoes out of the No. 1 spot and oranges moved up a few places from the previous week to No. 2.

Oranges lead U.S. export growth

U.S. fresh oranges and tangerines showed the best year-over-year growth of any major fresh commodity in export sales in the year from May 2019 through April this year.

The Asian citrus psyllid spreads citrus greening disease, aka huanglongbing.
USDA, other groups shift HLB research from lab to grove

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and other groups have invested nearly $47 million in research over the past six years through the Huanglongbing Multiagency Coordination Group.

Summer produce heating up on PMG
Summer produce heating up on PMG

Haitian mangoes continued their hold on the No. 1 spot on The Packer's PMG the week of May 25, while cucumbers gained a couple of spots to land at No. 2.

Newest FreshFacts report puts sales in COVID-19 context
Newest FreshFacts report puts sales in COVID-19 context

The United Fresh Produce Association examines in its latest FreshFacts on Retail report how COVID-19 has affected first-quarter produce sales.

China running behind on promised imports of U.S. goods

China is running well behind on its promised purchases of U.S. goods and services in the first quarter of 2020, raising trade tensions between the two countries.

Domestic citrus kicks off summer on high note
Domestic citrus kicks off summer on high note

Good news has been a rarity since the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic broke out early this year. But there appears to be a bright spot when it comes to U.S. citrus sales.

Bee Sweet Citrus sees pandemic citrus surge as summer begins
Bee Sweet Citrus sees pandemic citrus surge as summer begins

Bee Sweet Citrus is transitioning into its annual summer program as the pandemic continues to drive sales.

Sunkist celebrates ‘all-American summer’ through citrus

Sunkist Growers, Valencia, Calif., is celebrating the return of summer citrus and California Valencia oranges with a campaign focusing on “the all-American summer.”

Cherries inch their way up on Produce Market Guide

Haitian mangoes maintained their lead on The Packer's PMG the week of May 18, and cherries claimed the second spot.

Mangoes see major interest on PMG
Mangoes see major interest on PMG

Haitian mangoes maintained their lead on The Packer's PMG the week of May 11, and the overall mango category climbed from No. 4 to No. 2.

Women in Produce — Julie DeWolf
Women in Produce — Julie DeWolf

If you think accountants are boring, you haven’t met Julie DeWolf, director of marketing operations for Sunkist Growers Inc. in Valencia, Calif.

Summer favorites make a comeback on PMG
Summer favorites make a comeback on PMG

Oranges were finally dethroned on PMG the week of May 4, with Haitian mangoes taking the No. 1 spot.

USDA plans to buy $105 million in surplus produce
USDA plans to buy $105 million in surplus produce

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning on buying $470 million in surplus food, including $105 million worth of produce, as growers cope with disrupted supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cherries make the top 10 on PMG
Cherries make the top 10 on PMG

Oranges remained No. 1 on The Packer's PMG the week of April 27, but several new items joined the top 20.

Jac. Vandenberg switches to compostable net bags for citrus
Jac. Vandenberg switches to compostable net bags for citrus

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

Dulcinea mandarins, oranges feature new packaging

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

Watermelon, mangoes get some love on PMG
Watermelon, mangoes get some love on PMG

Oranges maintained their months-long lead on PMG the week of April 20, but the rest of the top 20 saw some changes.

Texas growers look forward to strong season
Texas growers look forward to strong season

Texas grower shippers are looking forward to a bountiful season for fruit and vegetable crops.

USDA approves imports of fresh citrus from China

Despite consistent long-term opposition from some U.S. citrus leaders, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved U.S. imports of Chinese pummelo, nanfeng honey mandarin, ponkan, sweet orange, and satsuma mandarins.

Oranges hang out at No. 1, but okra, artichokes pick up steam on PMG
Oranges hang out at No. 1, but okra, artichokes pick up steam on PMG

Oranges continued their hold on the top spot on PMG the week of April 6, but the rest of the top 5 shuffled slightly.

Oranges, strawberries ... and turnips? Check out what's tops on PMG
Oranges, strawberries ... and turnips? Check out what's tops on PMG

Oranges were still the favorite on Produce Market Guide the week of March 30, but lettuce inched up a place from the previous week to No. 2, bumping organic pears to No. 3.

USDA seeks comments on South African citrus import rule
USDA seeks comments on South African citrus import rule

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.

Oranges rule Produce Market Guide, but bananas pick up interest
Oranges rule Produce Market Guide, but bananas pick up interest

Oranges and organic pears maintained the top two spots on Produce Market Guide last week, while lettuce inched up a place to No. 3.

2019 Fresh Trends data: Comparing apples to oranges
2019 Fresh Trends data: Comparing apples to oranges

Apples and oranges always find themselves near the top of the list of most popular fruits in the produce department.