Latest News From Citrus Marketing

Sunkist Growers has an ample supply of domestic conventional and organic lemons this season, said Christina Ward, senior director of global marketing for the Valencia, Calif.-based marketer.

Wonderful Citrus has multiple sourcing options for both lemons and limes, company executives report. 

Egg Harbor City, N.J.-based Consalo Family Farms hired Miles Fraser-Jones as vice president of new business development and procurement.

Citrus suppliers are invited to give their perspective on the summer citrus outlook for The Packer’s May 31 Summer Citrus Marketing Section.

Older, higher-income Hispanic consumers living in the Western U.S. are the most frequent purchasers of fresh limes, according to The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2021 survey.

It has been a good year at retail for lemons and limes, and Limoneira has been in prime position to fulfill demand.

Per capita consumption of lemons and limes continues to grow, U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers show.

Shipments of oranges and grapefruit from Texas should be up slightly this season, according to the November citrus forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

This should be a good year for Florida citrus with grower-shippers reporting good growing conditions for oranges and grapefruit, and some suppliers adding increasingly popular easy peelers.

Exports play a role in the marketing plans of many citrus grower-shippers, but that role can vary from company to company and season to season.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged produce grower-shippers throughout the U.S., but a silver lining for the citrus industry is consumers’ perception of citrus as immunity boosters.

Although USDA's NASS estimated that California’s navel orange crop will be about 42 million 80-pound boxes this season, some grower-shippers estimate that number might be a bit on the heavy side.

Consumers typically turn to citrus to load up on vitamin C during cold and flu season, but this year, suppliers hope they’ll stock up on even more grapefruit, oranges, mandarins and lemons to keep COVID-19 at bay.

LGS Specialty Sales, New Rochelle, N. Y., kicked off its summer citrus with lemons from Argentina and Chile.

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

Organic citrus is the main focus for Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms during the winter, said CEO Scott Mabs.

Dole Food Co. has discontinued its line of Dole Organic Salad Kits to concentrate on the development of other organic products.

Citrus volume out of Texas as of mid-January was on pace with last year, and growers were not reporting any major quality problems.

Florida citrus growers anticipate a good season this year, weather permitting, thanks to good volume and favorable growing conditions.

Citrus has become one of the produce department’s leading organic items.

The U.S. citrus industry continues to cope with citrus greening disease.

Mandarins continue to gain popularity among consumers, often at the expense of navel oranges. But it’s way too soon to count navels out.

California growers were somewhat happier with the way this year’s citrus season was shaping up compared to last year.

California growers are expected to produce 80 million cartons of navel oranges during the 2018-19 season, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s an 11% increase over last year.

Florida’s orange volume should be about 77 million 90-pound box equivalents, most of which will go to processing, said Andrew Meadows, director of communications for Lakeland-based Florida Citrus Mutual.

Volume should be up in most U.S. citrus-growing areas this season compared to last year, and despite challenges in some areas, growers say they’re shipping some good-quality fruit.

Large Mexican limes stubbornly continued to trade at prices of $50 per carton or above in early April, but signs point to easing f.o.b. levels by May.

Citrus grower-shippers in California, Florida and Texas share the latest on their operations this season.

Mandarins continue to draw significant investment from California grower-shippers.

Two large citrus grower-shippers noted that winds have had some effect on the lemon crop this season.

Citrus grower-shippers in California, Texas and Florida have seen good demand for citrus.

Read the latest updates from companies featured in The Packer Citrus Marketing profile.