Specialty Citrus

Commodity Overview

A well-rounded specialty citrus category can attract shoppers who are looking for something different and willing to spend a bit more. Experiment with the wide variety of specialty citrus options to see what performs best in your department.

Produce Availability

Colors Information:
Domestic:
Import:
Export:
All:

PLUs

4303 kumquats
4328 limequats
4459 Uniq/Ugli fruit
4308 loquats

Varieties

Calamondin

Finger Limes

Kumquats

Lavender Gem

Lemonquats

Limequats

Uniq/Ugli Fruit

Mandarinquats

Buddha's Hand

Yuzu

Kaffir Limes

Bergamot

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Specialty citrus has a host of health benefits beyond the obvious vitamin C content. Vitamin C is an immune-system booster and a cancer-fighting antioxidant. Citrus also contains nutrients that can help fight cancer as well as promote healthy skin and protect the brain against age-related mental decline.

Sales Strategies

While citrus is often used as a snack, it does lend itself to cross-merchandising with items like salad mixes, juicers, peelers and zesters.
Some specialty citrus is available year-round. Keep consumers interested in citrus throughout the year.
Fall: Include specialty citrus in back-to-school promotions as a great way to get kids eating plenty of vitamin C.
Winter: Citrus goes hand-in-hand with the winter holidays. Promote it as a nutritious breakfast or brunch option and as a tangy addition to salads for the holiday table.
Spring: Appeal to consumers looking to get their bodies in shape for the summer by promoting specialty citrus as a new flavor for juicing.
Summer: On-the-go families are always looking for healthy, portable snacks. Promote citrus as the perfect traveling food that won’t melt or spoil in the car.

Dynamic Displays

It’s tempting to build taller citrus displays because the round fruit stacks well. However, those displays can end up rolling around the floor of your produce department if a consumer pulls the wrong piece. Keep stacks low to avoid slipping hazards.
Include plenty of signs to tell consumers about specialty citrus items. Post information about flavors and uses.
Consider offering a variety pack of specialty citrus to encourage consumers to try new things.
Include a wide variety of specialty citrus in your display. Giving consumers plenty of options helps them to vary their selections.
Take advantage of the plentiful supply of citrus during the winter when other fruits may not be as available. Promote citrus heavily during the winter season and create a large citrus display near the front of your department that includes several varieties of specialty citrus.

Food Service

Use citrus juice as a tenderizer for meat. The meat gets tender, and you get a unique flavor.
Offer citrus as part of a healthy breakfast bar.

In the Backroom

Grades
Florida
U.S. Fancy, Fancy No. 1, U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 2, U.S. No. 2 russet

Fruit grown elsewhere in the U.S.
U.S. Fancy, U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 1 bronze, U.S. No. 2, U.S. No. 2 russet, U.S. No. 3

Handling
Temperature: 45 to 48 F, 7 to 9 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: no Typical shelf life: 14 to 28 days Odor producer. Specialty citrus produces odors that will be absorbed by meat, eggs and dairy products.

Harvest Brokerage Inc

Overview (3) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Broker

Location HQ:

Forest Park, 30297 Georgia

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries

Severt & Sons Produce Inc

Overview (7) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Columbia, 29172 South Carolina

Berries:

Blueberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Figs, Grapes, Pears

Brooks Tropicals Inc

Overview (9) (0) (5)

Business Type:

Broker, Exporter, Shipper, Importer

Location HQ:

Homestead, 33031-1892 Florida

Citrus:

Limes

Tropical Fruit:

Avocados, Coconuts, Mangoes, Papayas

Specialties:

Ginger Root, Guava, Lychee, Passion Fruit, Dragon Fruit

Delta Produce LLC

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Broker, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Lanham, 20706 Maryland

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries

Everyday Fresh Produce Inc

Overview (8) (0) (6)

Business Type:

Broker, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Chicago, 60608 Illinois

Citrus:

Limes

Deciduous Fruit:

Pomegranates

Tropical Fruit:

Carambola, Coconuts, Pineapple, Plantains

Cooking Vegetables:

Eggplant, Okra, Turnips

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach

Robert's Precut Vegetables Inc

Overview (2) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Wholesaler, Processor

Location HQ:

Cranston, 02905 Rhode Island

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Carbonella-DeSarbo Inc

Overview (2) (0) (2)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Brandford, 06405 Connecticut

Melons:

Watermelon

Cooking Vegetables:

Onions, Bulb, Potatoes

Salad Vegetables:

Lettuce, Tomatoes

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries

Marjon Specialty Foods Inc

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler, Packaging

Location HQ:

Plant City, 33567 Florida

Deciduous Fruit:

Asian Pears, Figs, Pomegranates

Stone Fruit:

Cherries

Tropical Fruit:

Bananas, Carambola, Coconuts

Cooking Vegetables:

Cauliflower, Celery Root, Garlic

Atlas Wholesale Food Co

Overview (3) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Detroit, 48214 Michigan

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries

Rocky Produce Inc

Overview (14) (0) (22)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Detroit, 48209 Michigan

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Strawberries

Deciduous Fruit:

Pomegranates

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Stone Fruit:

Apricots

Tropical Fruit:

Carambola

Cooking Vegetables:

Celery Root, Leeks

Specialty Citrus