With the California citrus season at its peak, producers are busy getting the message out to consumers that the season is going well. Good volumes and excellent quality are being reported, especially for those in the Central Valley of California. Most varieties are in season now, with only Valencia oranges still about a month away.
"All our citrus is grown in the Central Valley around Fresno," said Jesse Silva of Kings River Packing. "The majority of our citrus varieties are available from October to June for our California-grown fruit and April to September for Valencia oranges. We also have two main grower partners in Chile and we pack and market their fruit in the off-season to ensure year-round supply."
"Currently in season, we have Navel oranges, Heirloom Navels, Cara-Cara, Blood oranges, Lemons, and a host of Mandarin varieties including Gold Nugget, Shasta Gold and Tango Murcott," he continued. "We are seeing lots of volume and quality is really good. It's a great promotional year for California citrus with a good and healthy crop."
Raspberry oranges?
Kings River Packing have three varietals of Blood orange - Moro Blood, Tarocco and Sanguinelli, which each coming into harvest from early to late season, respectively. Currently, the company is finishing up with Moro and Tarocco, and beginning to harvest Sanguinelli. Kings River Packing established the exclusive rights to the Raspberry Orange brand, with the aim of improving consumer acceptance of Blood oranges. According to Silva, the name is aimed at focusing on the flavor profile of the orange.
"Many retailers are having a hard time marketing the Blood orange," he explained. "Consumers are not really taking to the variety despite its reputation for its flavor and healthy benefits. The Raspberry Orange brand focuses on the distinct flavor of the Blood orange which has a notable aftertaste of raspberries. As a result of the branding, our customers are reporting they are selling many more Blood oranges. Raspberry Oranges provides us with a great opportunity to reach consumers."
Mandarins and Heirloom Navels doing well
The most popular citrus type at the moment appears to be mandarins. It's widely considered that consumers are turning more to mandarins because they are seedless, easy to peel and are a convenient healthy snack. Kings River Packing are also noting this trend with an uptick in sales of their mandarin varieties. Out of all of them, the Gold Nugget is generating the most excitement, according to the company.
"The Gold Nugget is a relatively new mandarin and has really taken off," Silva observed. "It's rated as one of the best eating fruits out there. It's seedless, very juicy, quite large and carries a lot of flavor. The Gold Nugget season starts in mid-February and continues through to May."
He also mentioned that the Heirloom Navels are seeing a rise in demand, adding that the particular oranges they carry are from the first orange trees planted in the region. "We have had a lot of success on the Heirloom Navels. Some of the trees are well over 100 years old, having been planted in the late 1800s and they are still producing today. These Heirlooms are grown by the Hazelton family, currently eighth-generation farmers and the first to grow oranges in Fresno County."
Expanded facilities and consolidated loading dock
Kings River Packing are also expanding their facilities with the recent addition of 80,000 sq. feet at their distribution facility, complete with 10 loading docks. The company is also adding a scale for trucks to weigh themselves before moving off. The idea behind all of this is to consolidate loading so trucks will only need to load in one location.
"We have just added 80,000 sq. feet and are in the process of installing a certified CAT scale which should be ready in the next month," Silva shared. "The large staging area allows us to consolidate loads so that trucks will only need to visit the one location to pick the entire order up. With the pressure on freight rates and E-logs still causing a few problems, our aim is to minimize loading times to better serve our customers."
For more information:
Jesse Silva
Kings River Packing
Ph: +1 (559) 574-1285
jesses@kingorange.com
www.kingorange.com