It's almost citrus time in Texas! Growers are preparing for the first harvest of oranges in a few weeks time, to be followed by Texas grapefruit in mid-October. They are currently still performing tests for juice and sugar content on the grapefruit, the results of which will more closely indicate a start date. Summer weather conditions were close to the typical Texas summer weather, meaning that fruit growth enjoyed smooth conditions.
"We'll be looking to harvest oranges in the last week of September," said Trent Bishop of Lone Star Citrus growers. "At the end of this week we will also perform the critical maturity tests on our grapefruit crop to determine when we can make a start on those. Sometime in early November, we will also begin packing our Winter Sweetz which will be available through early March."
"Overall, it's been a good summer. We had a fair amount of rain early on which was timely, followed by the usual 60 day spell of hot and dry weather during July and August."
Bishop noted that there is a greater amount of fruit this year, and that individual fruit sizes will likely be smaller than last year's large fruit. "There seems to be a heavier fruit set this year, with estimates of an increase of about 10 percent over last year's volume," he explained. "This would indicate that fruit sizes will be smaller than last year, which saw particularly large sizes from a lighter set."
Texas filling Florida gap to Europe
Florida citrus growers are facing many problems at the moment, one of the more notable being citrus greening. Some estimates suggest that the state has lost around half its crop in the last decade. As a result, the European market has been searching for an alternative for their offshore supply, and it seems Texas is increasing its share of this market.
"Due to the situation in Florida, Texas growers are exporting more citrus to Europe than in previous years," Bishop observed. "Based on the enquiries we have already had, it looks like exports to Europe will increase further this year."
More work on 'behind-the-scenes' marketing
This year, Lone Star Citrus will be working closely with retailers with a focus on discussing ways in which to maximize promotional opportunities. One way that the company is doing this is by directing attention on analyzing consumer behavior and in this way make retail promotions more efficient.
"We'll be doing a bit more behind the scenes direct marketing with retailers this year," Bishop shared. "By investing in digital database analytics, we can strategize how to more pointedly direct the consumer. The idea is to make the most of retail promotions and we will work closely together with retailers on promoting the grapefruit category. After all, growers and retailers have the same goals and it makes sense to collaborate in this way."
Good market expected for start of the season
Right now, the orange market is strengthening due to a shortage of product. This looks promising for Texas growers who will be coming in at the right time to provide a new crop for this market. Grapefruit too is setting up for a solid market.
"The market on oranges seems to be strong right now," Bishop noted. "Based on California Valencias, we are seeing prices in the mid $20s for small sizes and high teens for larger sizes. Grapefruit is also set up for a good market but it won't be like last year when we had a large gap. We are feeling very positive for the start of the season and are eager to get started."
Focus on retail collaboration at PMA
Lone Star Citrus will be exhibiting at PMA, displaying their products and offering samples of their citrus. Bishop said their focus this year will be talking with retailers about the company's plans on boosting promotions through direct marketing strategies.
"We will have product on display including some of our early season Rio Stars," he said. "Most of our promotional investment will be in making sure the retail promotions are targeted in the best way possible so a big focus at PMA will be discussions with retailers in regards to this. We look forward to working with them and providing what we can to increase the grapefruit category."
"We will be in Texas Town so we invite visitors to come by our booth and get to know us." Lone Star Citrus will be at Booth #1800.
For more information:
Trent Bishop
Lone Star Citrus
Tel: +1 (956) 424-7775