Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler on Sept. 16 provided an economic wrap-up of the 2025–26 citrus season. This included the benefits of FDOC promotion of orange juice (OJ).
Zansler said the 2025–26 citrus season showed several areas of improvement despite continued supply constraints. Florida citrus production increased, OJ yields improved and fresh orange distribution expanded, she reported.
JUICE PERFORMANCE
Zansler reviewed the season’s retail performance for OJ and grapefruit juice through Aug. 8:
- Not-from-concentrate (NFC) OJ was the principal driver of category value, generating approximately $2.08 billion in retail sales, up 6.3% and accounting for approximately 75% of total OJ retail dollars. NFC generated more than 100% of the category’s net dollar growth, offsetting reductions in reconstituted and other orange juice segments.
- Grapefruit juice continued to face greater volume pressure. Total grapefruit juice gallon sales were reduced 7.6% season-to-date and dollar sales dipped 4.7% while the average equivalent gallon price increased 3.1%. Zansler noted the years’ long reduction in retail presence for grapefruit juice but said the grapefruit juice category presents growth potential, if fostered, for incoming Florida production.
BENEFITS OF OJ PROMOTION
Zansler presented the annual analysis of the benefits associated with FDOC promotion of OJ conducted by the University of Florida’s Florida Agricultural Market Research Center (UF FAMRC):
- More than one in five respondents to a UF FAMRC survey demonstrated awareness of OJ promotions during the 2025–26 fiscal year, higher than last year’s level.
- Consumers who were aware of OJ promotions exhibited a 10.7% increase in their willingness to pay for OJ, coupled with an 8.9% heightened perception of the health/wellness benefits associated with OJ.
- The study shows consumers’ perception of the health/wellness benefits of OJ was strong in 2025–26, with 38% of consumers citing health and wellness as a major factor influencing their purchase of 100% OJ.
- Results of the 2026 return-on-investment analysis indicate that FDOC programs in the last year will have a benefit-cost ratio between $2.64 and $3.40. That signifies that each dollar spent on generic promotions of processed OJ returned between $2.64 and $3.40 to the Florida grower in added revenue at the grower delivered-in price level.
- The 2026 UF FAMRC study showed that demand for OJ would have declined by 8.9% without the awareness of FDOC promotional activities. The awareness model estimates consumption would have declined by an additional 78.49 million single-strength equivalent OJ gallons without FDOC promotions. That’s equivalent to roughly 14.27 million boxes of Florida processed oranges.
- The domestic share of Florida OJ was estimated at 13% for the 2025–26 season, an increase from previous seasons with improved production compared to the previous season.
Learn more about the FDOC here.
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