REEDLEY, CA - With holiday recipes calling for tons of delicious citrus varieties, consumers are in luck, as Fruit World is reporting a robust citrus season, with promotable volumes of its organic lemons anticipated through early March, in addition to its diverse lineup of conventional Mandarins, organic oranges, and organic specialty citrus. As it brings these beloved varieties to produce aisle displays, the citrus maven is also teasing an organic expansion to meet the heightened needs of consumers.
“This year’s organic lemon crop is looking very strong—both in terms of volume and quality—and we’re seeing exceptional taste, appearance, and juiciness,” shared Bianca Kaprielian, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s desert volume makes for great ad opportunities through March, with our Central Valley ranches filling out availability through May.”
In addition to an abundant supply of high-quality lemons, Fruit World is also expecting a strong organic specialty citrus program this year, as noted in a press release.
“This is our second year offering organic sweet limes, and we are already delivering promotable volumes which should last into December,” added Kaprielian. “This variety pairs the classic fresh lime flavor with exceptional sweetness, making them perfect for juicing, as a salad topping, or even cut into wedges as a snack because they are so sweet.”
Fruit World will kick off its Mandarin program in early November, beginning with stem and leaf Satsumas and the company’s proprietary Early Dulce Mandarin variety. Organic Satsumas and Clementines will start in November, with additional varieties available into April. The supplier is expecting a lighter-than-typical Mandarin season this year, with excessive heat in May and June and last year’s large crop set affecting this year’s bloom industry-wide.
“To establish high flavor and exceptional color right from the start of the season, we plan to start shipping Mandarins and Navels about two weeks later than usual and have a slightly earlier end to the season,” noted CJ Buxman, Co-Founder and Organic Citrus Grower. “This shift also allows us to ensure an uninterrupted supply of high-quality fruit throughout the season.”
Navel oranges will begin shipping at the end of this month, followed by Minneola Tangelos in early December, with the season rounding out with Cara Caras and Blood oranges in January.
Complementing its diverse lineup of citrus varieties, Fruit World has already begun shipping its popular organic Rio Red grapefruit variety.
“Our California-grown Rio Reds are top-notch quality and have beautiful interior color. We’ve seen strong demand, partly due to last season’s freeze in Mexico and Texas which affected the overall grapefruit supply,” said Buxman.
As the company looks ahead to the future, Fruit World will be expanding its specialty citrus program by planting organic Mandarinquats, Kumquats, Lemonade lemons, and more, which will be available in upcoming seasons.
In addition, the grower is transitioning a significant amount of Mandarin and Navel acreage from conventional to organic, including Heirloom Navels, which are in their second year of transition.
AndNowUKnow will keep an eye on Fruit World as it furthers its expansion strategy to continue bringing high-quality citrus varieties to market, so stay tuned.
