Even with fewer supplies, demand is fluctuating for oranges this season.
“Oranges from Mexico are down slightly in volume. But we finished the Murcott (also known as a Honey Tangerine) season and had a good run this year. We’re now into Valencia oranges,” says GT Parris of Seald Sweet in Vero Beach, Fl., who notes that all supplies are coming in from Obregón, Mex. “The Murcotts were excellent all around. And so far, the Valencias have good flavor, solid color and are a little on the larger size.”
Yet, demand is slow for oranges. “It’s fighting low prices out of California,” says Parris. “Demand is really hit and miss because California drives the market.” He adds that if California drops its pricing on oranges, the rest of the industry has to follow. However the numerous storms across North America, particularly in the last month, have also slowed retail demand for product this quarter.
Not surprisingly then, pricing is lower and slightly off compared to last year’s numbers. “However, supply should be steady in the next few weeks,” says Parris.
New Arizona facility
Meanwhile, closer to the West Coast, Seald Sweet has moved into the new Delta Fresh Cold Storage facility in Nogales, Ariz. “This is a brand new facility that we were able to move into in November,” says Seald Sweet’s Rob Anderholt, who notes that both the sales and operations team are working out of this facility. “Along with giving us more storage space, this new cold storage makes it possible for us to keep a more consistent cold chain as well.”
Seald Sweet's new Nogales, Ariz.-based facility.
For Seald Sweet, the new facility helps streamline both of its shipping and receiving operations as well as assisting the company's expansion into larger volumes of items it already handles. It will also make space for Seald Sweet to work with newer commodities. “This will be for general storage uses mostly. But we do have space now for repackaging and private label packs,” adds Anderholt.
For more information:
G.T. Parris
Seald Sweet International
Tel: +1 (772) 569-2244
gtparris@sealdsweet.com
www.sealdsweet.com
Rob Anderholt
Seald Sweet International
Tel: +1 (520) 281-0985
RAnderholt@sealdsweet.com
www.sealdsweet.com