PORTLAND, OR - Although Twin River has been known in the produce aisle as a mighty blueberry provider, the grower is shaking up its operations and expanding into the organic citrus category. The move builds off of one of Twin River’s primary partnerships with blueberry grower Cultivos Organicos, located in the Huaral region of Peru.
“The constant feedback loop that we have with the grower allows us to continually improve all aspects of production and throughout the lifecycle of the fruit," said Zane Coleman, Operations Manager and Grower Relations.
The arrival of citrus to Twin River’s lineup comes at no better time, for summer snacking is just starting to heat up. The grower is satisfying consumers’ cravings with organic Peruvian Satsumas, Murcotts, and Minneolas—the latter of which will arrive in-store in August. According to a press release, the first pack is showing a perfect brix level between 10-13 with an acid ratio between 1.1-1.2, with Satsuma supply expected to be steady through July.
In fact, one of the reasons why Twin River’s new citrus boasts such a perfect brix is because of Cultivos Organicos’ location in an ideal growing region. The Huaral region is well suited to both blueberries and citrus as it has a constant water supply that provides cool nights, warm days, and relatively low humidity, which, when paired with high levels of illumination, is the perfect concoction to producing beautiful fruit.
Mel Sharp, Sales Program Manager, highlighted the packaging that Twin River will be encasing its new citrus offerings in. Specifically, the new Peruvian citrus program ensures that kids of all ages have a sweet, portable, and vitamin-packed snack to enjoy all summer long. “The grab-and-go convenience and ease of digital merchandising on the bagged fruit is a great value-add for retailers,” Sharp explained.
The new single-source citrus program also allows Twin River to streamline its operational process to ensure minimal breaks in the cold chain while also maximizing return to the local agricultural economy.
As the Twin River team likes to say, “It’s always local season somewhere”—and the new organic citrus program is exactly that!
As produce providers continue to expand their fresh lineups, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
