California navel orange shipments may be down nearly 20 percent this season, although growers and shipper are not complaining considering the over production and poor markets of last season.
There was a huge navel orange crop with shipments hitting 80 million 40-pound cartons, and this doesn’t even count fruit that fell to the ground and product so small it didn’t make grade.
California Citrus Mutual of Exeter, CA is pleased the navel orange forecast for the 2019-20 season is down to 73 million cartons. As of mid January about 20 percent of California’s navels had been harvested, very similar to a year ago.
California grower-shippers are expecting ample supplies, large sizes and good-quality fruit.
Johnston Farms of Edison, CA believes there will be good supplies, better sizing and quality on navels over last year. The company has just wrapped up its satsuma mandarin season and is transitioning to murcotts. Good quality is reported.
Shipper, packer Cecelia Packing Corp. of Orange, CA expects navel volume to slow down a little in late March or early April since there will not be a lot of late varieties this year.
SunWest Fruit Co. Inc. of Parlier, CA is experiencing increased volume with its cara cara navel oranges. The grower, shipper points out its increased volume with cara cara navels has not come at the expense of its navel orange loadings.
Southern California oranges – grossing about $6200 to New York City.