One of Florida’s largest growers and suppliers of citrus fruit has purchased the 2,500-acre Chiquita grove off Bermont Road, east of Punta Gorda. According to Brianna Palfi, creative marketing assistant for the family-owned firm, IMG Citrus sealed the deal last Monday.
With this latest purchase from the Packers of Indian River, IMG Citrus now controls 27% of Florida’s citrus land management, or 11,387 acres. Palfi said the new owners will retain all Packers of Indian River employees in Charlotte County. The Chiquita grove was planted in the 1990s. IMG Citrus, which already is the state’s largest producer of grapefruit, will now have an additional 500 acres of grapefruit groves.
The company has renamed the grove Imagine. It currently contains a variety of Ruby Red, Star and Flame grapefruit, in addition to Navel and Cara Cara oranges, according to the company.
Source: yoursun.com
