By Len Wilcox The labels that citrus packinghouses formerly placed on their shipping crates have a long and colorful history. These vibrant labels — usually square, depicting a beautiful farm, pretty lady or perhaps some impossibly perfect oranges — have become art objects and unique representations of their time and place in history. LOCATIONS OF COLLECTIONS In Florida, that history …
Georgia Department of Ag Assisting Citrus Growers with Marketing
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is working to promote the ever-growing Georgia citrus industry. Matthew Kulinski, deputy director of marketing for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, led a presentation at the Georgia Citrus Association Conference to inform growers that the department’s marketing division can help them. As the Georgia citrus industry expands, it is important for growers to know how …
Moroccan Citrus: Increased Production Brings Marketing Challenges
By Hassan Farouk Ahmed Morocco’s citrus production reached 2.3 million metric tons (MT) in 2016–17, an increase of 15 percent over the previous marketing year. Orange production increased by 4 percent, to 962,250 MT, while tangerine and mandarin production increased 24 percent to 1,325,246 MT. Much of the increase in production was due to increases in the area harvested, as …
Wonderful Citrus Acquires Major Fruit Marketing and Import Business
Media Contact: Steven Clark 310-966-3517 steven.clark@wonderful.com Significant Supply and Distribution of Counter-Seasonal Citrus Products and Domestic Grapefruit Added to America’s Largest Integrated Grower, Shipper and Packer of Fresh Citrus DELANO, CALIFORNIA, and FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA (February 1, 2017) – Wonderful Citrus, America’s largest integrated grower, shipper and packer of fresh citrus, has purchased DNE World Fruit, the largest citrus marketer …
IndexBox Marketing: Orange Market in Crisis
According to a report by IndexBox Marketing, the orange market is in crisis. One of the main reasons is the citrus greening disease, widespread in the key centers of orange cultivation. This is why a reduction of the global orange market volume is expected once again in 2016. Orange yield reduction affects consumption worldwide. In this case, a distinction should …
South Korea Grants Market Access to Texas Grapefruit
Texas grapefruit growers recently gained access to a new international market in South Korea worth $5 million annually. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) negotiated the technical details that will help ensure grapefruit exported from Texas are free from pests, such as the Mexican fruit fly. On June 27, 2024, South Korea’s national …
Grants to Help Florida Growers Strengthen Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS) recently announced it has a cooperative agreement with Florida under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and Florida are offering more than $8 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. Florida is accepting applications for …
Sustaining Citrus in the Face of Rising Food Prices
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Consumer Orange Juice Tracker shows that consumers are increasingly reporting changes in their food shopping behaviors in response to rising food prices. From 2018 to 2024, the percentage of consumers who reported no change in their shopping behaviors has consistently decreased, dropping from 21% in 2018 to an estimated 18% in 2024. In contrast, …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: What Florida Citrus Growers Are Talking About
By Peter Chaires When June rolls around, the last of the oranges are generally coming in and it’s time to reassess what worked and identify areas for improvement. Research-based entities are making every effort to steer dollars to where they will have the most immediate impact. The name of the game right now is capacity preservation. We must do what …
Preserving and Promoting the Florida Citrus Industry
Citrus historian and volunteer extraordinaire Brenda Eubanks Burnette is the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. Brenda Eubanks Burnette’s initial exposure to the citrus industry was merely by chance. As Miss Winter Haven in 1978, she was asked to fill in when the reigning Florida Citrus Queen couldn’t make a scheduled appearance at a citrus processing plant. A MEMORABLE REIGN Needing …
FDOC Gets New Agency and Discusses Budget
It’s now official that the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) will have a new agency for consumer marketing, media relations and issues management starting July 1. The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), the FDOC’s governing board, approved contracts with Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc. on May 9. The new contracts are for two years with three optional one-year renewals. Padilla Speer Beardsley, …
Citrus Juice Sales Continue to Decline
At its May 9 meeting, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) learned how much retail sales of citrus juice continue to decline. Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler reported on the period ending April 20. Orange juice (OJ) sales were down by 11.6%, and grapefruit juice sales were down by 9%. For the fourth …
Cultural Practices for Finger Limes
At a recent finger lime field day, horticulturist Tripti Vashisth reported that most citrus rootstocks do well with finger limes. She said that Volkamer lemon and X-639 create the most vigorous trees, and that they and US-812 seem to be promising rootstocks for finger limes. Vashisth is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor …
California Star Ruby Season and Contest Announced
Sunkist Growers, Inc. recently announced that California Star Ruby grapefruit season has arrived. The company also announced a national display contest for retailers. “According to a new Sunkist-commissioned study, grapefruit buyers continue to be loyal to the variety, with 50% making repeat purchases multiple times per month,” said Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing at Sunkist Growers, …
Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee to Continue
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) plans to renew the charter of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) for two years. The FVIAC’s current charter expires May 23. The purpose of the FVIAC is to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and suggest ways the USDA can …
Florida OJ Has Solid Share of Consumers
A significant portion of consumers are drawn to Florida orange juice (OJ) despite recent economic setbacks, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows. “There is an intrinsic value that consumers have for Florida orange juice. When they think of Florida, orange juice is often part of the imagery,” said Marisa Zansler, director of economic …
Florida Legislators Support Agriculture
The 2024 Florida legislative session wrapped up last month, and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) believes it is very clear that state legislators support the agriculture industry. The association expressed appreciation for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and the Florida Legislature for championing legislation that sought meaningful solutions to some of the challenges facing the industry. BENEFICIAL BILLS …
Nominations Needed for Florida’s Citrus Administrative Committee
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for 10 grower members and 10 alternate members for the Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC). The committee is also accepting nominations for a public member and public alternate. Nominations will be accepted through April 16. Voting will take place April 23 at a nomination meeting via Zoom. The CAC administers a federal …
Georgia Growers Now Voting on Citrus Commission Funding
Through April 30, Georgia citrus producers are voting in a referendum to determine if they will fund the newly formed Georgia Citrus Commission. If growers pass the referendum, the state will begin collecting an assessment from citrus growers to carry out research, education and promotion projects coordinated by the commission. The commission consists of Georgia citrus growers. At the request …
Destination Dupes, Simpler Times and Grower Assessments
The March 20 Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) meeting provided some education about destination dupes for people who aren’t constantly in the social media loop. It looked at how Florida orange juice (OJ) can invoke simpler times and provided a preview of likely Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) grower tax assessments for the 2024–25 citrus season. DESTINATION DUPES John Fuller, director …