Citrus growers in California and Florida reported very little damage from freezing temperatures that blasted both states — the former in December and the latter in early January — but U.S. Department of Agriculture crop estimates released Jan. 12 show slight decreases in both states’ crops from earlier projections.
About 8.98 million tons of oranges are expected to be produced in 2011-12, 2 percent lower than the previous forecast but still 1 percent higher than last season, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Those projections do not take into account a Jan. 16-17 freeze that hit California’s San Joaquin Valley with the coldest night of the winter to date. Navels appeared to escape unscathed, though an unseasonal 85 percent were still on the tree, and most of the clementine crop has already been harvested. W. Murcotts, which account for about one-third of California’s Mandarin acreage and which still had around one-third of the crop to be harvested, took the worst hit from the freeze, though the extent of the damage will not be known for days or weeks.
There will be “some damage” to Mandarins “in the northern part of the citrus belt,” Shirley Batchman, director of government affairs for California Citrus Mutual in Exeter, CA, told The Produce News Jan. 17. “We just don’t know the level of that damage.”
Florida is expected to produce about 147 million boxes of oranges, up from 140 million boxes last season. California should produce about 58 million boxes, down from 62 million.
SIGHTINGS
United Fresh leadership meetings
COMPANY PROFILE
‘New face’ at Farm Fresh Direct well known in produce industry
On the heels of significant growth in 2011, Colorado-based Farm Fresh Direct LLC has set its sights on more expansion in 2012, starting with the Jan. 1 hiring of produce industry veteran Mike Harmon.
Mr. Harmon, whose background includes sales of a wide range of products, was named sales manager for the fresh-market potato shipper and will be based out of Birmingham, AL.
According to Dave Yeager, vice president of sales and business development for FFD, Mr. Harmon comes well-suited to the job.
“Mike brings a wealth of experience to our company,” Mr. Yeager told The Produce News Jan. 17. “He has handled sales in all areas and knows the industry well. We’re very happy to have him.”
Mr. Yeager also said that new products and packaging as well as new growers will be added to the FFD profile in 2012.
“We have had a lot of growth over the last year,” he said, referring to the...."
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DEPARTMENTS
PEOPLE
Pure Hot House Foods Inc. recently hired 10-year greenhouse veteran MARINA DAVIDSON as the director of procurement for the company, effective Jan. 16.
She started her career at Cris-P Sales in Nogales, AZ, and also worked for Mastronardi Produce based out of Romulus, MI. Her most recent role was as sales manager at Interoceanica, one of the larger box suppliers based out of Celaya, Mexico.
Jamie Moracci, president of Pure Hot House Foods Inc. stated in a press release, “We are very pleased and excited to have Marina join the Pure Flavor team. Her vast experience with developing grower networks in multiple countries, solid communication and understanding of the market, and her outstanding reputation to create fair and equal partnerships in this industry are second to none.”
