Citrus
Both the grower-shipper and cooperative will donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross and fresh citrus fruit to local food banks.
The consumer goods and food delivery company will deliver special limited-edition boxes with six Sumo citrus in New York and Los Angeles.
Aiming to make organics more accessible, the company says it designed the packs to target smaller households and waste-conscious consumers.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture added more of the Mission Viejo area to the state’s huanglongbing quarantine.
In its third year, the grower cooperative’s initiative promotes citrus’ health benefits to drive traffic to produce departments.
The custom-designed 10-pound cartons and packaging marks the year of the snake and can hold navel or cara cara oranges or pummelos.
The new quarantine includes the Santa Ana area of Orange County.
The brand’s largest integrated campaign in five years features humorous commercials with parent-kid standoffs over Halos mandarins.
Mandarin production is forecast to increase by 13.1%, according to a new USDA report.
The company says its next organic clementine varieties, including satsumas, are also “eating exceptionally well.”
While the majority of the newly quarantined area is residential, this restriction adds 0.4 acres of commercial citrus.
The company, once one of the largest citrus producers in Florida, said about 3,460 acres of citrus will be managed by a third party through 2026.
The total U.S. volume of oranges was projected at 60.3 million boxes, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service January forecast.
The Fowler, Calif.-based grower-packer-shipper has contributed to the American Red Cross to help provide meals and snacks for affected families in Southern California.
Quality is excellent this season for most of its commodities, though sizing for oranges and lemons will be a bit smaller than last year, the company’s president said.
The company also is supporting its seedless lemons with an integrated marketing campaign that includes digital video, social media and influencer partnerships.
Demand for specialty citrus continues to grow in both conventional and organic categories, says DiSilva Fruit.