Sumo variety citrus will see bigger volume from California this year for Lindsay, Calif.-based Suntreat, a division of AC Foods.
Tom Ryan, business development specialist with Suntreat, says the company marketed Sumo citrus from Australia from mid-September to mid-October.
California’s Sumo season will run from January to early to mid-April.
The Sumo, an exclusive citrus varietal for the company at least for the next several years, is a large mandarin developed in Japan, with some orange parentage.
Ryan said AC Foods will see significant growth this year and expects to market about 5 million 5-pound equivalent cases.
The focus for the company is to get into new retail accounts, and Ryan says the citrus received a great response at Fresh Summit.
“You need trials for the customer at the store level, and that’s our job is to find new and innovative ways to get the trial,” he says. “Once you get the trial we think you’re gonna get you’re gonna get it booked.”
Ryan says most retailers price the Sumo at a per pound price of $3.99, with some as low as $2.99. Others price by the each in a similar price range.
