Page 40 - January_2019

Specialty Citrus Offers Unique Selling Opportunities
New and exciting varieties, including Sumos and large tangerines, can lure consumers. BY BOB JOHNSON
ACalifornia grower-shipper is gaining favor with its early shipments of an easy-peeler sweet Satsuma that is the size of a Navel orange and aptly named Sumo Citrus.
In Florida, a fourth-generation family citrus grower is ready to introduce two very sweet and large Tangerines, three decades in the breeding that are uniquely high in sugar and low in acids.
One Los Angeles wholesaler conveniently located close to the port for access to specialty citrus from around the world sees premium opportunities in these unique varieties.
“We are big in this category,” says Robert Schueller, director of public relations at Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Vernon, CA. “Specialty citrus varieties are harder to nd in the marketplace, and they’re not vari- eties all stores carry. Lack of volume is an indicator that it’s specialty.”
Joe and Sharon Hernandez quickly built the Melissa’s business to occupy more than seven acres of warehouse space in their strategic West Coast location by making good on their promise: Delivering the Global Market.
“O ering customized signage for the retailers to help communicate about the item and how to use it helps consumers overcome intimidation,” says Schueller. “Our labels request that consumers go to our site for information and multiple recipes for using the fruit.”
Retailers have a wealth of choices to add variety and whimsy to the citrus section.
Varieties range from Kishu and Jeju Mandarins out of Korea, which are available in December and January, to sour oranges the rst two months of the year, to Tango and Tahoe gold tangerines that are available until March. Consumers also can nd Fukushu kumquat from December through March, Jamaican Ugli fruit, Sumo Citrus from the heart of the Central Valley, or Early Autumn Honeys out of Florida.
40/ JANUARY 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
THE HITS KEEP ON COMING
New specialty citrus varieties keep coming, both from locations around the world and from ongoing public and private breeding e orts to come up with fruit that o ers new and enticing mouth appeal.
“Our family started a private breeding program 30 years ago,” says Quentin Roe, president of Noble Citrus, Winter Haven, FL.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA’S/WORLD VARIETY PRODUCE
“We have several new varieties in the ground that are super sweet, unlike anything else in Florida.Two of them are super large tanger- ines that are easy to peel with few seeds.”
Noble Citrus is a nearly century-old fourth-generation family citrus operation that recently released two new large very sweet tangerine varieties developed in its own research orchard.