IMG Citrus and Mixon Family Citrus have announced a partnership to serve Florida grapefruit customers around the world. The partnership combines Mixon’s citrus under protective screen (CUPS) production with IMG’s experience marketing grapefruit across North America, Europe and Asia. Both entities are multigenerational Florida agribusiness families.
The partnership is expected to account for more than half of Florida’s fresh grapefruit with more than 850 acres of CUPS production and more than 1.4 million cases of fruit.
Led by brothers Keith and Jerry Mixon, Mixon Family Citrus has spent more than a decade refining varieties, rootstocks and production systems within the CUPS model. CUPS is an advanced form of protected agriculture where citrus is grown under large protective screen structures to improve growing consistency, fruit quality and supply reliability. CUPS was designed to protect citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid and the citrus greening disease that the psyllids spread. Learn more about CUPS history in Florida.
“What excites us is the opportunity to bring back to the market what Florida grapefruit has always been known for at its best — incredible flavor, juiciness and eating experience,” said Keith Mixon.
The collaboration pairs protected agriculture with a fully integrated commercial platform designed to support greater consistency, dependable planning, and a longer, more relevant Florida grapefruit season at commercial scale.
IMG Citrus has extensive capabilities across packing, packaging innovation, food safety, logistics and customer support infrastructure.
“This is bigger than two businesses coming together,” said Melanie Ressler, co-chief executive officer of IMG Citrus. “This is two families aligning around a shared vision for the future of Florida grapefruit.”
“We’ve been trialing the program in select markets, and the results have validated the opportunity in a major way,” said Sydney Allison, vice president of sales at IMG Citrus. “Customers are seeing a program that delivers dependable quality, smoother supply and a more consistent experience for shoppers in the produce aisle. Retailers are recognizing that this is a unique Florida grapefruit program capable of driving real excitement in the category.”
Source: IMG Citrus
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