Although fall might signal the end of the season for some fruits and vegetables in the United States, for other regions, it's a time when their season is just starting up. Additionally, the US will start to see its domestically-grown citrus appearing on shelves in greater volume in the not too distant future.
This will be the focus for Texas grapefruit specialist Lone Star Citrus Growers at the PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim on October 17 - 19. According to April Flowers of Lone Star Citrus, the company has been exhibiting at PMA since its inception in 2008. "PMA is always a great place to network with existing and future customers," she said. "Because PMA is so heavily attended, it offers the opportunity to do quite a bit of business while giving exposure to our brand and programs."
The Lone Star Citrus team at the 2018 PMA Fresh Summit
Early season grapefruit should be ready
If all goes to plan, visitors to PMA will have the chance to sample some early season Texas grapefruit. Lone Star Citrus grows Texas Red Grapefruit under the Winter Sweetz brand. The company plans to have these at PMA along with packaging, including a new export tray which was launched last year.
"We'll likely be sampling our grapefruit as in past years," Flowers shared. "This season, we will continue to market our Winter Sweetz brand. In addition to our bags and boxes, we launched a new export tray last year that we'll continue to use this year."
She added that along with their signature grapefruit, Lone Star Citrus will provide sales data as well as outline the company's marketing strategy for current and prospective customers. "Our current customers will have access to the consumer data we collected last year, and prospective customers can learn more about our sales and marketing program along with opportunities for the upcoming season."
Texas grapefruit season begins next month
The PMA Fresh Summit is good timing for Texas grapefruit growers, with their season due to commence around the same time as the show. This will provide them a good opportunity to showcase their products in time for the upcoming season.
"We plan to begin shipping light volume mid-October, with heavier volume towards the end of the month," Flowers shared. "We will likely be at full production by the second week of November."
Visitors to the PMA Fresh Summit will find Lone Star Citrus at Booth #1536.
For more information:
April Flowers
Lone Star Citrus Growers
Ph: +1 (956) 424-7775
aprilf@lonestarcitrus.com
www.lonestarcitrus.com