Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, the chief executive of Vero Beach, FL-based Seald Sweet and a citrus industry veteran, is pondering a question that perhaps few have asked in the modern-day history of citrus as a produce commodity: “What makes citrus special?”
Citrus as a category is huge in sales, volume and the sheer scope of variations available, from oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes and grapefruit, through to newer varieties, such as Murcotts and Cara Caras. It also represents big money, with total U.S. orange sales estimated at $1.2 billion in 2022 and mandarins at $1.9 billion for the same year, according to the International Fresh Produce Association.
But aside from the sheer weight of sales, what are the factors that continue to make citrus such a significant category within produce? “What makes citrus much more special than it was even when I started is today you have citrus year-round,” says Sotomayor-Kirk. “You can have a clementine in the winter or the summer when before only domestic products were being grown. With new technology in shipping and production, and the fact that growers are becoming better at their craft, we can supply a retailer year-round and that makes it very special.
“And also it’s good quality year-round. California produces great citrus, and today we are afforded incredible citrus from other countries, and that makes it a special commodity.”
For Bianca Kaprielian, co-owner and chief executive of Reedley, CA-based Fruit World, it is citrus’ sheer diversity that makes it such a special category. “There’s just so much variety within the citrus space that helps keep customers interested,” she says.
“Another thing that’s great is that although citrus is perishable, it’s not highly perishable. It gives retailers and customers a little more flexibility – you don’t have to eat it straight away and retailers have space to try new things.”
Todd LaForest, co-founder and president of Bakersfield, CA-based produce marketer Molly’s Grape & Citrus Company, calls citrus a “nutritional powerhouse,” which offers a vibrant flavor and versatility in retail and foodservice.
“It plays a crucial role in juicing and culinary applications, and its natural vitamin C content, antioxidants, and immune-boosting properties align perfectly with today’s health-conscious consumers while still being great tasting,” he says.
Monique Mueller, director of communications at Bee Sweet Citrus in Fowler, CA, agrees, describing citrus as “incredibly versatile and nutritious,” making it an easy choice for shoppers. “Families can turn to our varieties for a healthy snack, while chefs and mixologists can rely on other varieties for upscale entrées, beverages and more,” she says.
For Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing at Valencia, CA-headquartered Sunkist Growers, citrus’ versatility and variety of flavors are key to the product’s appeal, allowing customers to find a favorite for every occasion. “Citrus ranks among one of the top fruit categories in the U.S., and during the winter season is a staple for consumers and retailers,” she says.
Similarly, Zak Laffite, president of Delano, CA-headquartered Wonderful Citrus, says that citrus’ enduring appeal is a result not just of its status as a fruit staple, but also its presence across a wide range of categories. “You have flexibility ranging from mandarins, which are easy-to-eat and portable, all the way to limes, which are more of an ingredient, and then you have new entrants like Dekopons and seedless lemons,” he says.
Currently celebrating its 75th year, the company (formerly Paramount Citrus) is further developing its Wonderful Seedless Lemons brand, as well as its summer Wonderful Halos mandarins program by expanding counter-seasonal sourcing. It has also begun a partnership with independent lemon packer Ventura Pacific, which Laffite says has increased Wonderful Citrus’ share of the seeded lemon market to around 25%.
Emerging Varieties
So, where is citrus headed next, and what are the varieties that are likely to make a mark on the industry? Although Laffite says he is “not in the business of promoting competitors,” he singles out the Dekopon mandarin, marketed under the “Sumo” citrus label, because it’s a good eating piece of fruit supported by a strong marketing campaign. “It’s a difficult product to manage from a farming point of view, but it’s well received in the marketplace, and we’ve seen it grow over the past two years,” says Laffite.
Closer to home, Laffite says Wonderful Citrus has recently begun packing a new, proprietary mandarin under the Halos brand, which offers better quality during a select window. “We’ve found a variety for January in South Africa, named Leanri, which has been very well received because of its consistency, and it offers the same easy-to-peel, color and flavor value proposition as other Halo mandarins,” he notes.
Seedless mandarins are also the product highlighted by Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk at Seald Sweet. “The Tango, the Murcott, the Narcott are all seedless mandarins and they are the best product out there,” she says. “They have the color, the taste, and they come in at the right time for children at school — at the end of August, September and October — that is when the peak of the quality is in from all countries.
“You’re looking at a solid piece of fruit that you would be proud to serve to your family or put in the lunch box of your children,” she adds.
For Sotomayor-Kirk, the produce industry has still to hit the ceiling on what mandarins can do, thanks to the versatility of the product. She also thinks the classic navel orange still has room to grow, thanks to both the quality of the crop arriving from Chile and South Africa, and the public’s awareness of its health benefits.
According to Howard at Sunkist, easy-peelers continue to lead the category at retail, driven by demand for healthier snacking items. “Consumers continue to look for new and exciting ways to enhance their diet,” she says. “Similar to Pummelos, the Cara Cara is a variety that has been available for quite some time, yet many consumers are still discovering it.”
Fruit World recently completed a merger with Creekside Organics, a Bakersfield, CA-based marketer, which has added a range of “Quats” to the company’s offerings, including Meiwa Kumquats, Centennial Kumquats, Limequats and Mandarinquats. “These are really snackable citrus — you eat the whole fruit, the rind and all,” Kaprielian says. “If someone is rushed for time and they want a really good snack, it’s a great option.”
She also singles out the Tango mandarin as a relatively new variety that is experiencing strong growth. “It’s been in production for a while now, but that’s where we’ve seen a lot of growth in acreage planted,” she says. “It’s a late-season, prolific producer, which holds well on the tree, and has allowed us to extend the California organic mandarin season.”
Adding Value
Around 65% of everything Seald Sweet markets comes with ‘value-added’ packaging, according to Sotomayor-Kirk, citing the company’s 1 lb to 5 lb clementine bags, or 4 lb to 8 lb bags of oranges. “It’s great for the consumer and it’s great for the retailer,” she says. “In the years that I’ve been in the citrus industry, I’m very surprised by how value-added bags have grown.”
Likewise, Mueller says Bee Sweet has revamped its premium citrus line to include Royal Red Oranges, Pummelos and Golden Gem Grapefruit; all of which have been rebranded with new packaging and supporting marketing materials.
Looking ahead to the remainder of the year, Howard says Sunkist will be marketing limited-edition, co-branded pink ribbon packaging and matching merchandising for its Cara Cara oranges, as part of a partnership with the U.S. National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).
“The Power with the Pink Orange program is a natural tie-in to help support awareness and education, a mission of NBCF,” she says. “Sunkist is the largest Cara Cara orange supplier, and the season is in full swing.
“Retailers can utilize The Power with the Pink Orange campaign materials, including display bins, stackable towers and new in-store merchandising extending from info posters to cards to channel rails, all with QR codes leading back to the Sunkist website.”
Technological Advancements
Another factor very much guiding the future direction of the category is technology, with companies already making sizable investments in overhauling their processes.
Wonderful Citrus is working on a concept called “The Orchard of the Future,” focused on developing the “future of planting,” according to Laffite. “You have to aggregate all of the potential solutions and see how they come together,” he explains. “Under The Orchard of the Future, we’re going to separate some land in the Central Valley of California and test all of these concepts from pruning and spacing to rootstock selection together.”
Meanwhile, Howard says Sunkist is transforming how it manages, evaluates and delivers citrus from the grove to shelves through the implementation of the Sunkist i3 program — an initiative that includes a mobile grower management tool and a quality assurance application. “The program reflects our commitment to investing in technology, innovating with processes, and implementing with people — a trifecta we believe guarantees citrus quality,” says Howard.
According to Kaprielian, one of Fruit World’s most significant recent advancements has been the introduction of growing methods developed using computer technology that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to determine watering and fertilizing schedules. “It allows us to give the trees exactly what they need and not anything in excess,” she says.
“It’s something the consumer isn’t going to see, but it makes a huge impact on the farming side. We don’t want to be utilizing more resources than are needed, and with the advances in AI, we’ve been able to expand the technology that we implement on our farms.”
In a similar vein, Molly’s has adopted enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and cloud-based traceability applications to enhance inventory tracking, mass balances, and compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act regulations for both conventional and organic citrus, according to LaForest.
“These technologies ensure full transparency in the supply chain, enabling real-time tracking and robust food safety measures while maintaining the highest quality standards,” he says.
Across the citrus industry, LaForest says AI-driven sorting, automated grading, and blockchain-based traceability systems are transforming how produce is tracked from packing to retail. Such advancements, he says, improve efficiency, sustainability, and consumer confidence, particularly if citrus companies can offer digitally-traceable supply chains.
Standing Out at Retail
Howard at Sunkist recommends retailers help shoppers find more usage ideas for citrus, while at the same time promoting the category as an easy-to-eat snack that is sweet and has nutritional value. “Health remains a top priority for shoppers, so calling out the vitamin C message with prominent signage works well,” she says.
Howard further suggests retailers “get creative” by building large, prominent displays using merchandising bins and POS materials.
“We’ve been focusing a lot on our sustainability and retail branding,” says Sotomayor-Kirk at Seald Sweet. “We believe retailers have incredible brand recognition with their customers. Very similar to what has happened in Europe — we think that retail private labels are the future.”
For Laffite at Wonderful Citrus, constructing point-of-sale ‘billboards’ is by far the most effective way to promote citrus. “We’ve found that to be very successful across our citrus, pomegranate and pistachio businesses,” he says. “With packaging, you are at the mercy of the merchandising strategy of the retailer; point-of-sale is the way to control your destiny.”
In the opinion of LaForest at Molly’s, success in retail comes down to a combination of excellent quality, strong branding, and strategic marketing. As well as ensuring a superior eating experience, he recommends eye-catching, premium packaging, and in-store promotions, sampling, and digital storytelling to build brand loyalty.
“Retailers also value supply chain transparency and reliability, which is why Molly’s emphasizes strong sourcing practices and real-time data visibility,” explains LaForest.
Sustainable Citrus
At the same time, LaForest says retailers are prioritizing consistent supply, premium branding, and sustainable sourcing more than ever. Within these overarching trends, he says it has become apparent that there is a movement towards eco-friendly packaging and reduced plastic use, as well as an increasing number of private-label citrus programs.
“Over the next two years, we expect continued emphasis on sustainability, greater demand for branded citrus with compelling storytelling, and a stronger connection between retailers and consumers through digital engagement and interactive packaging,” he predicts.
LaForest identifies sustainability as an “essential focus” for Molly’s, explaining that the company carefully selects grower partners who implement responsible farming practices.
Beyond responsible sourcing, he says Molly’s is also actively exploring cost-effective, functional, and sustainable packaging solutions that uphold its commitment to quality and environmental responsibility. “Every consumer purchase is backed by our Pink Bag Promise and the guarantee that it’s “Molly Good,” ensuring freshness, flavor, and quality,” he says.
In a similar vein, Sotomayor-Kirk says a prime concern for Seald Sweet is ensuring packaging, including for private label customers, complies with parent company Greenyard Group’s sustainability guidelines. “If we can have that packaging be sustainable, it’s a win-win,” she says.
Further, Sotomayor-Kirk says Seald Sweet is focused on having 100% of its growers certified as sustainable, and making sure they meet the company’s ‘Five Pillars of Sustainability’ goals, taking in packaging, food waste and water management, among others. “If we focus on that, then we are providing the best product for our retail private label customers,” she says.
Sotomayor-Kirk says sustainability and helping local communities are among Seald Sweet’s key objectives. “We have to make sure our growers are abiding by the rules and regulations of our customers, and our global group,” she says. “It’s in packaging, it’s in labor laws, it’s in water rights — sustainability is one of the most important things our company is doing at the moment.”
Similarly, Howard says awareness among the Sunkist Cooperative’s 1,000-plus grower-members is strong when it comes to sustainability, with many adopting sustainable farming practices, such as using solar power and installing water-saving irrigation systems. “The cooperative also works to reduce product waste by seeking and expanding markets for usable citrus fruit that doesn’t meet Sunkist’s high standards for retail or foodservice — the byproducts are used for juice and oils,” she says.
And it’s these smaller growers that represent the heart of the industry, and why their survival is so important to a sustainable future. “Standing out in the produce department is a question we confront every day. We’re a small company with big ambitions and a big mission to keeping family farms, ours included, thriving,” says Kaprielian.
“First and foremost, we need to make sure as much money gets back to our farms and growers as possible, because farming is expensive and it isn’t easy. What we have done — and I’m really proud of this — is we’ve made an impact in terms of our brand and packaging design. In addition to our bold colors that pop on retail shelves, our packaging has a QR code that takes you to our website that tells you why and how we’re ‘Deliciously Different.’ Consumers want to feel good about their purchases, so we make it easy for them to check us out and make an informed decision.”
For a deeply-rooted industry such as citrus, change is inevitable — but if recent trends are anything to go by, its future will be as sharp and refreshing as ever.
