An overlap is expected this fall with transition from imported citrus to domestic production.
Lange Farms of St. Louis, MO reports following a season laden with weather challenges, inconsistent arrival quality and periods of heavy supply, attention is now turning to whether improving fall demand will be sufficient to absorb incoming fruit.
During the Southern Hemisphere season, the company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lange Companies in St. Louis, sources citrus from South Africa, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Argentina, providing flexibility as growing conditions, quality and availability shift between origins.
With California production is just getting underway, but imported and domestic fruit are expected to overlap more than usual.
Lange generally aims to work through imported citrus by the end of October as California production comes online. This year, however, imported supplies could remain in the market into November, making inventory management and timing particularly important. Improving fall demand could help absorb some of that supply, but the amount of imported fruit still moving toward North America will remain a key factor in how smoothly the transition develops.