“I’ve never experienced anything like this. I mean, this wiped us out completely,” Uvalde vegetable grower Brandon Laffere said of the devastation wrought on Texas crops by Winter Storm Uri.
Strong demand since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic continues for McAllen, Texas-based Fox Packaging, according to Aaron Fox, executive vice president for the company.
With less fruit available to sell and surging consumer demand, the Texas citrus market will remain strong throughout the season, said Cory Oliver, senior category director of the Texas division of Wonderful Citrus.
Lone Star Citrus has worked hard to limit staff and employee exposure to COVID-19, said TJ Flowers, vice president of operations and sales at the company.
Jeff Arnold , general manager of the Edinburgh Citrus Association, Edinburg, Texas, said the company redesigned its choice grapefruit bags last season to bring back the firm’s Tropic Valley label.
Industry expectations for the Texas citrus crop estimate a smaller output than last year, primarily because of fruit damage from Hurricane Hanna in late July.
As California citrus growers work feverishly to stave off a future invasion of citrus tree-killing huanglongbing, Texas growers are dealing with the disease in the present.