OVIEDO, FL – Duda Farm Fresh Foods is ramping up its California citrus harvest in the state’s San Joaquin Valley, just in time for the holidays. The company kicked off harvest with lemons in mid-September, mandarins and navel oranges during the week of October 20th and Meyer lemons during the week of Oct. 27th.  Minneola harvest will begin in early January.

As we move through November, Duda has begun promoting navel oranges with the company’s new ‘Citrus Celebrations’ high graphic 4 lb. retail bag.

“We will be running this promotion in various regions through the first of the year.  We are also promoting Meyer lemons in our recently updated 1 lb. pouch bag,” Paul Huckabay, Western Citrus Sales Manager, tells me.

The company expects to see increased volumes of Mandarins, Lemons and Minneolas.  Meyer lemons and Navel oranges should be slightly below last year, but quality and flavor have been fantastic since the first shipments began, creating great momentum to the season.

Paul also tells me that like many growers in California, drought conditions have resulted in slightly less volume in certain areas, but the most significant effect has been on fruit size on navel oranges.  The entire industry is experiencing smaller than normal fruit size for this time of year but flavor has not been compromised.

Duda’s citrus ranches are spread out through Kern County, all the way up through Tulare County and Fresno County, providing a significant footprint for retailers looking to tap into California Citrus.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we follow Duda’s California Citrus program.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods