The Florida Citrus Commission in March received updates on recent orange juice (OJ) sales and Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing efforts. Marisa Zansler, director of the FDOC Economic and Market Research Department, presented the sales data. The FDOC Nielsen retail sales report showed year-over-year not-from-concentrate (NFC) OJ sales increased by 13.9% while reconstituted OJ sales increased by 5%. Average …
OJ Could Address Fruit Shortfall in Adult Diets
While whole fruit consumption increased in adults between 2003 and 2016, the intake of several key nutrients decreased over time, a new study shows. Adding 100% orange juice (OJ) to the diet could help address this shortfall and bolster intake of other key nutrients found in OJ. A cross sectional analysis using the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination …
OJ: 5 Contributions to Good Health
At the March Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) meeting, Gail Rampersaud summarized recently published studies showing that orange juice (OJ) contributes to good health. Rampersaud, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told the FCC, which governs the Florida Department of Citrus, about five ways the studies showed OJ is beneficial: Body Weight: Research shows that 100% OJ or fruit juice consumption is not …
OJ Sales One Year into the Pandemic
Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Steve Johnson recently discussed the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on sales of Florida orange juice (OJ). “We witnessed sales (of OJ) soar in the initial weeks (of the pandemic) as consumers stockpiled their pantries with kitchen staples and sought out healthy foods and beverages that provide immune support,” Johnson reported in an email to members of …
Influencers Push OJ Sales
In a recent message to members of the Florida citrus industry, Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Steve Johnson focused on the role of social media influencers in promoting Florida orange juice. Johnson stated that partnerships with influencers on social media and in traditional media comprise what he called “a critical component” of the Florida Department of Citrus’ (FDOC) e-commerce marketing campaign. …
Keeping Consumers Engaged With Florida OJ
Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) e-commerce activities have strongly aided orange juice (OJ) sales since January 2020, Jackie Hopkins with FDOC marketing agency Edible told the Florida Citrus Commission earlier this month. She reported the e-commerce program has reached $11.6 million in attributed sales of OJ with 513 million impressions and $5.24 return on ad spend (ROAS). ROAS is the …
PIECES OF THE PAST: February Was Eat More Citrus Month
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette February has always been a big month for the Florida citrus industry — so much so that the Florida Citrus Exposition was created in 1923 to help promote the annual crop. It took place every February and incorporated numerous competitions and events over 11 days. In 1954, the exposition included an opening-day parade; Canners and Allied …
Q&A With FDOC’s Shannon Shepp
Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), answers several questions regarding her agency’s work, including efforts to market orange juice (OJ) and other Florida citrus products. She fields additional questions of interest to the citrus industry, including about demand for citrus products, foreign OJ imports, and industry challenges and opportunities. The FDOC is governed by the …
Miss Florida Citrus Is Out and About
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Miss Florida Citrus, Leila Sabet, is continuing to represent the Florida citrus industry at various events, most recently at the Indian River Citrus League’s Treasure Coast Fun Shoot at the Vero Beach Shooting Club. While there, she helped sell raffle tickets, took photos with the competition winners and helped promote Natalie’s Orchid Island citrus products. She …
FDOC on Global Marketing Efforts
A 25 percent tariff placed on Florida grapefruit in Europe has had some impact on retail supply, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Global Marketing Samantha Lane told the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in early February. The FCC is the FDOC’s governing board. Lane said the FDOC worked with the European industry to ensure Florida-loyal retailers continued to have …
Global OJ Production to Exceed Consumption
Global orange juice (OJ) production for 2020-21 is forecast 17 percent higher to 1.8 million tons. Production in Brazil and Mexico more than offsets the drop in the United States. However, global production continues its general long-term decline, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Similarly, consumption is projected to continue its long-term decline, although exports are …
Alico: Increased Citrus Prices Expected to Continue
Alico, Inc., one of Florida’s largest citrus producers, announced financial results for the fiscal quarter ending Dec. 31. Some highlights regarding the company’s citrus operation follow. For the quarter, Alico Citrus harvested approximately 0.8 million boxes of fruit, a decrease of 14.6 percent from the first quarter of the prior fiscal year. The decrease was principally related to there being …
New Florida Citrus Commission Chairman
Steve Johnson, owner and general manager of Johnson Harvesting, was elected chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) this week. He succeeds Ned Hancock in the chairman position. The FCC oversees the Florida Department of Citrus. Johnson is a fourth-generation citrus grower and cattle rancher based in Wauchula. In addition to managing the operations of the citrus harvesting and brokerage …
Update on Florida OJ Supply and Demand
In the Feb. 3 Florida Citrus Commission meeting, Marisa Zansler, Florida Department of Citrus director of economic and market research, provided an update on Florida orange juice (OJ) movement and availability. External trends, such as fruit drop and increased demand during the pandemic, may significantly impact the availability of orange juice throughout the season. Coming into the 2020–21 season, beginning …
Uncle Matt’s Launches E-Commerce Site
Uncle Matt’s Organic® has made its juices and functional beverages accessible to more consumers with the launch of a new e-commerce site. Currently, shipping is available to most of the East Coast, with plans to expand nationwide. The online store brings organic orange juice, lemonade and functional beverage bundles directly to consumers’ doors in one to two days via FedEx. Because …
USDA to Purchase Citrus Products
Mike Sparks, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president/CEO, reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced another round of citrus purchases totaling almost $48 million. The breakdown includes $10 million worth of orange juice, $7.5 million worth of grapefruit juice, $25 million in fresh oranges and $5 million in fresh grapefruit. The USDA purchases will be for distribution to …
Production of OJ to Climb in Europe
European Union (EU) orange juice (OJ) production is forecast to climb almost 8 percent in 2020-21 compared to the previous year, to 87,987 metric tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported. The forecast is in line with the expected growth in the volume of European oranges destined for processing this season, especially from Spain and Italy. …
Research Projects on OJ Recommended for Approval
The Scientific Research Advisory Committee met Jan. 21 to review recent updates from the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and to review and recommend to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) for approval two new research proposals. The FCC serves as the FDOC’s governing board. Rosa Walsh, director of the FDOC Scientific Research Department, gave an update on the 2020–2025 Dietary …
Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Florida OJ?
Multiple studies point to the value consumers place on Florida citrus and their willingness to pay for the “Florida” brand. Lisa House, director of the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center and a professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida, recently spoke on this subject in a Florida Department of Citrus webinar. She provided an overview of …
Potential OJ Marketing Order Leaves Growers Hesitant
Many Florida citrus growers are skeptical of the proposed federal marketing order for orange juice (OJ). The proposed marketing order would allow all U.S. fruit used in OJ and all OJ imports to be assessed to share in the cost of marketing. This federal order, however, poses some potential drawbacks for Florida juice orange growers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture …