Florida Grapefruit 13% down due to diseases and cold weather

The production of Florida Grapefruit season 2009/10 is 13% down compared to a year ago. Mike Yetter is the director of international marketing for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and responsible for building consumer demand for Florida citrus products in markets outside the United States.

“Because of lower production our shipments to Europe will be down as well”, says Mike. The lower production is due to a reduction in the number of trees (from diseases – canker and greening) and, to a lesser degree, the freezes they had in some of the citrus areas in early January. “However, there was some good news from the cold snap”, he says.

“The cooler temperatures resulted in deeper color and a higher brix (natural sweetness) for the fruit. The field test results since January 2010 show a brix level consistently above a 10 score. A 10 brix reading for grapefruit is considered excellent.”

Florida Grapefruit is very popular in all importing countries. Mike: “We believe we produce the best-tasting grapefruit in the world, and there are sound reasons for this. The growing conditions in Florida are ideal for citrus. Florida soil, for the most part, contains a sandy base. Sandy soil is ideal for the rootstock of citrus.

Secondly, Florida is a peninsula with a semi-tropical climate, bordered on the west by the Gulf of Mexico and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Florida has a humid climate which contributes to a thin-skinned, juicy piece of fruit. There is a significant difference between a thick-skinned, dry piece of fruit grown in an arid climate and a Florida grapefruit.

Also, we have cool winter nights that contribute to the color and natural sweetness of the fruit. And finally, we believe our growers apply state-of-the-art horticultural practices when growing, harvesting, and packaging fruit for the European market. Great care and pride go into our products”, he adds.

The interior quality of this year’s fruit is excellent. “The exterior appearance of the fruit this season is typical for Florida”, says Mike. “We have some wind scarring which is due to the gentle breezes and humidity. However, because of our quality standards and practices, blemished fruit is culled and processed into juice. Also, I would add that no citrus with canker enters the fresh market.” Japan remains number one market for Florida Grapefruit, followed by the European market. France is the largest country for Florida grapefruit within the EU.  

For the coming weeks the weather remains unseasonably cool for Florida, with temperatures 10-15 °F below normal. The forecast is for the trend to continue into March. “Although most of us Floridians (and tourists) would like to see warmer weather, the cooler temperatures are very beneficial for the citrus crop”, says Mike.

He expects the harvesting of this year’s crop to proceed in an orderly fashion with an excellent product being sent to the market. In the long term (3 to 5 years) he sees a further reduction to the crop but at a much slower rate of decline.

“Eventually, you will see a return to increased production (5 to 10 years) as the industry solves its disease issues”, he says. “There are significant resources focused on disease research. It’s just a matter of time before the industry solves the greening and canker problems.”

Source : Fresh Plaza