FLORIDA - What am I drawn to as soon as I walk into a produce department? Citrus catches my eye every single time, especially during the winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. As shoppers look for a respite from chilly temperatures, buyers need a trusted supplier partner to ensure those displays shine.

To catch up on the citrus market, I turned to Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ John Holford.

“The current Florida citrus market is fairly stable,” the Citrus Commodity Manager shared with me. “Most everything is in decent supply currently and should remain so through the season. We are only about a third of the season through with oranges, since we began in late October and will finish in late May. The Hamlin and Mid Sweet variety oranges will take us through January.”

In February, Duda starts up its Valencia variety, which will last through most of May. The grower is also shipping red grapefruit and is close to being 50 percent finished for the season, which will end in March.

“Quality has been excellent so far on both oranges and grapefruit,” John noted. “Maturity for all varieties has been on time this year and comparative to the last few seasons. Both categories are anticipated to be down just slightly in volume over last year, so we predict potentially 10 percent or less down in all production over last year.”

With weather being promising from last summer and lasting through the winter, the continued cooler weather will help sweeten the fruit. As the fruit sweetens, demand spikes.

“We normally see a small spike in demand in January and February, which is peak season for flavor on grapefruit. Oranges also see a bump in demand as the flavor and juicing quality peaks,” John explained.

As the new year advances, AndNowUKnow will keep you up to date on the latest market news.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods