The primary U.S. winter citrus shipping areas are well underway for the 2024-25 season and here are some assessments from growers in California, Florida and Texas.
Sunkist Growers Inc. of Valencia, CA reports a strong start, with a wide range of conventional and organic orange, lemon and specialty citrus varieties.
January begins peak citrus shipping season for the cooperative with cara caras, bloods and minneolas loadings joining shipments of navel oranges, pummelos, lemons and mandarins. Volume on most items is expected to be higher than last year, though below the 10-year average.
Blood and cara cara oranges are expected to increase by 20%, and minneola volume is expected to grow from 20% to 35%.
Wonderful Citrus’ of Los Angeles notes its California mandarin season started in November and will continue through May.
The company launched its sixth season of Wonderful seedless lemons in July and now has year-round distribution nationwide. Its Texas red grapefruit program began in the fall.
The company’s overall quality and sizing of this season’s citrus crop has been good.
Feek Family Citrus of Fort Pierce, FL grows grapefruit, juice oranges and tangerines, and early hamlin oranges.
The season kicked off in early October and will continue until through July.
The company’s growing volume will be down because of Hurricane Milton in October, but packinghouse volume will stay the same, since more growers are producing fresh citrus.
Lone Star Citrus Growers of Mission, TX has begun exporting to South Korea this season.
About 90% of the company’s grapefruit crop is rio reds. The company also produces a few orange varieties, including early, Marrs, pineapple and valencia.
The company’s effort to recover from a 2021 freeze continues to be stymied by the ongoing drought and a light freeze in January 2024. This is resulting in having about 75% of a typical crop.