Growers in California, Florida and Texas, the main U.S. winter citrus production areas, are well underway with their 2024-25 season and report some successes and some challenges.
Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers Inc. “is off to a strong start,” said Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing. The co-op offers a wide range of conventional and organic orange, lemon and specialty citrus varieties.
“January begins peak citrus season with eating quality at its highest,” Howard said. “Cara caras, bloods and minneolas are joining our already-shipping navel oranges, pummelos, lemons and California mandarins.”
Although fruit size may be a bit smaller this season because of extreme summertime heat, volume on most items is expected to be higher than last year, though below the 10-year average.
Blood and cara cara oranges are expected to increase by 20%, and minneola volume is expected to grow from 20% to 35%, Howard said.
Los Angeles-based Wonderful Citrus’ California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos began in November and will go through May, said Zak Laffite, president.
The company kicked off its sixth season of Wonderful seedless lemons in July and now offers year-round distribution nationwide. Its Texas red grapefruit program began in the fall.
The overall quality and sizing of this season’s citrus crop has been positive, Laffite said.
“Wonderful Halos’ California clementine harvest was a success. It has been a strong crop year for Wonderful seedless lemons, and Wonderful’s California navels and cara caras have accelerated harvest with increased volumes and favorable quality despite smaller sizing,” he said.
“Wonderful’s California conventional lemon harvest is also in full swing with strong supply and consistent quality,” Laffite added.
In Fort Pierce, Fla., where Feek Family Citrus grows grapefruit, juice oranges and tangerines, early hamlin oranges were small, peaking on 100s and 125s, said Jordan Feek, marketing director. Later fruit will peak on size 100s and 80s, she said.
Grapefruit was mostly sizes 56s to 36s with a few 32s and larger. Later fruit will peak on 100s and 80s.
The season kicked off in early October and will continue until the end of July, Feek said.
The company’s growing volume will be down because of Hurricane Milton in October, but packinghouse volume will stay the same, since more growers are producing fresh citrus, she said.
In Texas, Mission-based Lone Star Citrus Growers has implemented an innovative program with MyLand, a soil health company that focuses on regenerative agriculture, said April Flowers, marketing director.
MyLand says its regenerative process amplifies native microalgae and delivers it directly into the soil in living form and helps return farms to their most fertile state.
Lone Star also has begun exporting to South Korea this season.
About 90% of the company’s grapefruit crop is rio reds, Flowers said. The company also produces a few orange varieties, including early, Marrs, pineapple and valencia.
Flowers said fruit quality actually has been better this year because of drought conditions.
“Less rainfall means fewer bugs,” she said. “Insect damage detracts from the appearance of the fruit, so at least we don’t have to contend with that.”
Size, though, is a different story.
“No water, no size,” she said.
The company’s effort to recover from a 2021 freeze continues to be stymied by the ongoing drought and a light freeze in January 2024, Flowers said.
“We are on track to produce about 75% of a typical crop year,” she said.
Some farmers had to deal with fruit fly quarantines early in the season.
“The disruption was minimal, and we are moving along at a good clip now,” she said.
Most regions reported that, so far, citrus prices have been similar to the 2023-24 season.
Retail prices of citrus have been “relatively steady” compared to last year, Howard said.
“As consumers continue looking for value while shopping, retailers strive to create promotional opportunities to meet those needs,” she said.
In Florida, Feek said prices so far are higher than last year on juice oranges and similar on grapefruit.
Flowers said the Texas market started off strong, but prices have softened as full production picks up out of Texas and Florida.
“Pricing at retail for the mandarin category is flat to slightly down when compared to last season,” said Wonderful’s Laffite.
Some retailers have down-sized packs to achieve lower price points for cost-conscious consumers, and others offer larger pack sizes to offer value better value.
