The ethos of Sun Pacific Shippers has been heavily rooted in the citrus industry since founder Berne Evans planted its first orchards in California’s Central Valley in 1969, said company President Al Bates.
The Pasadena, Calif.-based firm’s product line includes navel oranges, lemons, Cuties brand mandarins, Tinkled Pink cara cara oranges and Vintage Sweet heirloom navels, which Bates describes as “premium navels grown for their high Brix and perfect balance of sugar to acid ratio.”
Sun Pacific also offers some organic citrus items, including navels and Cuties, which are performing well among organic shoppers, Bates said.
Organic navels are sold in 40-pound cartons, 3-, 4- and 5-pound bags, and mandarins come in 2- and 3-pound bags.
“This season, organic citrus volume is up year-over-year to date, driven by organic grapefruit, easy-peel mandarins and navel oranges,” Bates said.
Quality is excellent this season for most of the company’s commodities, he said, though sizing for oranges and lemons will be a bit smaller than last year.
“Severe heat this summer was likely responsible for the smaller sizes and has also resulted in more sunburn on the fruit,” Bates said.
“Total tree crop is similar to last year, but utilization is expected to be higher due to improved external quality,” he added.
Pest damage has been minimal, unlike last year, when the citrus crop experienced the worst thrip damage the company has seen in many years.
Fortunately, citrus greening disease, which has wreaked havoc on Florida citrus, has not been an issue in California’s San Joaquin Valley, primarily because of the preventative efforts of California’s citrus industry, Bates said.
“Measures have been in place over the last 10 years to minimize and detect populations of Asian citrus psyllids, which is the vector for the disease,” he said.
