Citrus
Hurricane Ian struck Florida in late September, creating a path of destruction for crops in southwest Florida that agricultural leaders are still tallying.
Florida was a drag on U.S. citrus production in new estimates released by USDA on Oct. 12.
Isaac Mazor, founder and CEO of Israel-based Nanovel Ltd., says the company expects to launch its beta version of an autonomous tree fruit harvester in 2023 for the citrus market.
Starting immediately, USDA has authorized U.S. imports of fresh pummelo fruit from Vietnam.
Florida’s 2022-23 citrus volume was forecast to be down about 32% from last year even before the hurricane hit, but there’s still “plenty of fruit for the season,” says Doug Feek of DLF International.
California’s citrus groves look remarkably different than they did last year. A record crop weighed down mandarin trees and navel oranges stayed on trees late into the summer months due to shipping issues.
Reedley, Calif.-based Frutura has signed an agreement to acquire Uruguay-based Citrícola Salteña (Caputto), a global supplier and marketer of high-quality citrus and juice, according to a news release.
The 2021-22 season has been a lean year for domestic citrus supply, and a new USDA fruit outlook report reinforces that point.
With crop expectations lower this year, the Chilean citrus season kicked off the week of April 11 when the first shipment of clementines set sail for the U.S. market, according to a news release.
Berries, apples, bananas and citrus were the top organic fruits ranked by sales during 2021, according to the State of Organic Produce 2021 report from the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners
China’s recent COVID-19 crackdown is having a ripple effect on ocean carrier scheduling and hurting volume at the Port of Oakland, officials say.
The company has revamped its summer packaging and is growing in two of the most popular citrus varieties.
Florida growers have said yes to more producer-funded citrus research.
Shipments of South African citrus are arriving in the U.S. this week, according to the marketing group Summer Citrus from South Africa.
Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers has launched ‘The Official Orange of American Summers’ campaign to celebrate the exclusive California-grown orange variety this time of year.
Greenyard USA/Seald Sweet has introduced a new sustainable label for its clementine line, according to a news release.
The USDA is taking additional steps to protect California citrus against citrus greening.
A late May frost in Chilean citrus growing regions has diminished prospects for the 2022 citrus crop, the Chilean Citrus Committee reports.
Sunkist Growers has debuted new organic packaging to support the increased demand for organic citrus at retail.
On March 22, the USDA and the Texas Department of Agriculture established a new Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Zapata, Zapata County, Texas.
The sorter uses Google AI technology to assess the inherent quality of each piece it processes, including any potential defects, the company said.
The first easy peelers from Peru and Uruguay have already arrived and volume will be picking up slowly in the coming weeks as Chile and South Africa enter the summer citrus season, according to a news release.
By an overwhelming margin, California citrus growers have voted to continue their support of the Visalia, Calif.-based Citrus Research Board.
TOMRA Food has announced the appointment of James Lynch as area sales manager for citrus in California.
New European Union rules governing imports of South African citrus are raising objections and a possible World Trade Organization action by the South African government, according to a news release.
Volumes are up for satsuma mandarins from the Southeastern U.S. and maturing ahead of last season, according to growers.
Vancouver, B.C-based Oppy expects similar Chilean produce volume compared with last season, but there are volume shifts within categories, said Eric Coty, vice president of South American operations.
Led by grapes, berries, citrus and avocados, U.S. fresh fruit imports have surged in the last year, according to fresh USDA statistics.
The Salinas, Calif.-based grower-packer-shipper of premium strawberries says deal offers opportunities for growth.
Florida citrus growers got off easy following Hurricane Nicole, which hit the Sunshine State on Nov. 10, compared to the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in late September.