With favorable crop conditions reported for California fruits like berries, citrus and melons, some major grower-shippers in the state are gearing up for promotions to help boost summer sales. Here's a crop outlook from a few of those companies and a look at the best time to promote.
California Giant Berry Farms
California blueberries will be available from early May until late June, says Brad Peterson, director of business development for California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, Calif.
They'll peak during the last two weeks of May and the first week of June, which will make an ideal promotion window, he says.
Organic blueberry production will experience a large jump with the addition of a San Diego growing region, Peterson says.
Supplies of California raspberries and blackberries should be stable “outside of the tips and tails of the season,” he says, with the highest volumes available in August, September and October.
“Data from the International Fresh Produce Association and retail analytics firm Circana confirm that the Fourth of July generates massive sales spikes for fresh berries,” he adds.
The company's conventional volume will be similar to past years with a slight increase thanks to continued trade-ups in raspberry varieties, Peterson says.
“Quality has been good so far for California blueberries,” he said in early April. “Caneberries are shaping up nicely and are anticipated to produce high-quality fruit.”
Growing weather in California has been unique so far “with minor subpar conditions,” he adds.
The Wonderful Company
Summer is an important sales period for Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Company, which has operating divisions that market POM Wonderful beverages and Wonderful Citrus items.
“For POM Wonderful, we prioritize social and retail promotion of our pomegranate beverages during the summertime,” says Jennifer Hirano, vice president of marketing.
“Our lineup of POM Wonderful juices, which includes POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, POM Wonderful Blueberry 100% Juice and POM Wonderful Cherry 100% Juice, offers a deep ruby red color and refreshing pomegranate flavor,” she says.
The company's lineup of POM Antioxidant Super Teas is featured throughout the season as well. They offer the antioxidant quality of pomegranates with a blend of gently brewed teas and come in five flavors, she says.
On the citrus side, California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos will run through May before transitioning to a summer import program to ensure year-round availability, says Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus.
The supply of Wonderful Seedless Lemons continues to be strong, he adds. The company also offers navel and valencia oranges, minneolas, lemons and grapefruit during the summer.
Legend Produce
Well over half the cantaloupes and honeydew melons grown in the U.S. come from California, and Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Legend Produce LLC, one of the nation's leading year-round melon producers, sources nearly 100% of its melons from the Golden State during the summer season, says Justin Bootz, sales manager.
Most of the state's melons are grown in central California, where the agricultural community of Mendota is known as the “Cantaloupe Center of the World.”
Most growers and retailers plan watermelon promotions for the Fourth of July, and melon availability typically remains high well into summer, Bootz says.
Legend Produce, which offers popular Origami melons, is a year-round melon shipper and offers California-grown cantaloupes, honeydew melons and seedless and mini watermelons from July through mid-October.
The company introduced its Kiss brand melons last year and plans to increase acreage this year.
The Kiss line includes Sugar Kiss, similar to a cantaloupe; Honey Kiss, similar to a hami melon; and Summer Kiss, similar to a galia melon, Bootz says.
Organics Thrive in Summer
The organic category is a crucial part of California's summer fruit program, and Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms has a strong seasonal program lined up, says Stephen Paul, deciduous category director.
“During the late spring and summer months, we offer a wide range of organic fruit, including berries and stone fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and apricots,” he says.
The firm's summer lineup also includes citrus like grapefruit, lemons and valencia oranges along with organic grapes. Fresh figs will come on later in the season.
Blueberries and stone fruit are the company's most popular items at this time of year and drive strong demand throughout the summer, he says.
“We're also seeing growing momentum around products tied to regenerative organic practices as consumer awareness continues to build,” Paul says. “Fresh figs are another exciting category as we enter our second season, and we're seeing strong enthusiasm from customers.”
The company expects strong quality across its summer fruit programs despite some early-season weather variability.
The summer season runs from May through September and is highlighted by strong promotable volumes of stone fruit from late June through early August, along with domestic berries at key points throughout the California and Oregon seasons, Paul says.
“Beyond those core drivers, the season is supported by a steady mix of citrus, grapes and fresh figs, giving retailers the flexibility to build a dynamic, evolving summer fruit set from start to finish,” he adds.
New at Homegrown Organic Farms is a fully redesigned website that better reflects the company's product offerings and sustainability commitments, Paul says.
And this summer, the company will expand its Regenerative Organic Certified program to include Oregon-grown blueberries, building on its already-certified ROC stone fruit program, he says.
