NEW ORLEANS, LA - Sunkist is celebrating 125 years of citrus production at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit Convention and Expo—a remarkable feat the cooperative attributes to the relationships it has built with those in the produce industry.

To capitalize on this milestone, Sunkist will have a limited release of a “Year of the Dog” 10-pound carton of California-grown Navel oranges on display at this year’s Summit for retailers envision for sale in stores in 2018.

Sunkist’s achievement accompanies high demands for citrus products. “This milestone season begins as citrus demand soars. Sunkist offers customers the trusted quality, service and marketing support to continue building demand and sales for the category–We Are Citrus™,” said Director of Communications, Joan Wickham, in a recent press release.

Further, celebrations continue with the cooperative’s trade to Sunkist Delite™ mandarins in early November. With mandarin production doubling this year for the cooperative, Sunkist is offering a new consumer-focused approach to kick off the citrus season.

To ensure consumers walk away from stores understanding all of its citrus products, Sunkist offers educational material for retailers. “We offer a wide array of retail marketing materials to help retailers inspire consumers to try citrus varieties that they may not have tried before. Highly visual materials and programs that highlight flavor, usage, nutrition and recipe ideas engage consumers in-store and encourage them to explore the citrus category,” said Director of Retail Marketing, Julie DeWolf, in the release.

There will be marketing materials available at the Sunkist booth, as well as a virtual reality experience, where the cooperative hopes to educate retailers on how to maximize marketing for its primarily California-grown citrus products.

If you’re around at the Summit and are looking for more information on Sunkist’s 125th anniversary and its celebratory goods, visit booth #2217. You can also find information at www.sunkist.com.

Sunkist