“Supply is good and getting better as the weather cools and we see more color and flavor development,” says Madalyn McCracken of Reedley, Ca.-based Ripe to You. “The supply equates to last year--we aren’t seeing a clear deficit or overabundance of mandarins at the moment.”
New varieties
Ripe to You has started its Satsuma variety and will soon add Page (a juicy medium-sized fruit), Daisy (a rich-tasting, larger mandarin) and Kishu (a small but sweet mandarin) to the mix as well. “The Daisy and Kishu mandarins are new to our lineup this year, both adding a unique variety of flavor to our offerings,” says McCracken.
Demand increasing
Being a popular holiday item, demand is increasing for the citrus. “Demand is growing stronger as more fruit comes into maturity and the flavor is at its best,” she says. “We hope consumers recognize the difference and greater quality of domestically grown fruit as opposed to imported fruit.” Competition, she adds, is from a variety of regions given the increased popularity of all mandarin varieties.
Given the ample supply and building demand, McCracken says that prices are leveling out now that more supply enters the market.
For more information:
Madalyn McCracken
Ripe to You
Tel: +1-559-626-7917
madalyn@ripetoyou.com
www.ripetoyou.com