California production is cornerstone of Limoneira’s year-round citrus program
California production is cornerstone of Limoneira’s year-round citrus program
“We view California as the cornerstone of a year-round citrus program. Its quality position gives the marketplace confidence in flavor and consistency,” said Alex Teague, chief operating officer at Limoneira Co. in Santa Paula, CA, in a written statement to The Produce News Oct. 16.
“California is still viewed internationally for producing quality citrus,” he said.
Limoneira is a major producer of California citrus and is the largest producer of lemons in the United States, with year-round availability of Eureka and Lisbon lemons, seedless lemons, Meyer lemons and variegated pink lemons, according to the company website. The company is also “one of California’s oldest citrus growers.”
Besides lemons, Limoneira also offers Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, Cara Cara oranges, Blood oranges, Minneola Tangelos, Satsuma Mandarins and Pumelos. In addition to citrus, Limoneira grows cherries and pistachios and is a major producer of avocados.
“Limoneira believes that creating consistent, high-quality supply chains with sustainablility/stewardship programs is important for our customers and their customers,” Teague said in the statement.
“Factors that drive citrus trends consist of state-of-the-art growing practices, ‘foodie’ culture and popularity of specialty citrus. Consumers continue to want quality produce and suppliers,” he continued.
Today’s most popular citrus varieties “have health, flavor and easy-to-use attributes that are popular with consumers,” Teague said. Those popular varieties include Mandarins, Cara Cara and Blood oranges, Meyer lemons and Pink lemons.
Limoneira also believes in the versatility of lemons, he said.
“California citrus is unique in that it is available year-round,” from navels, Mandarins, grapefruit, lemons and specialties in the winter to navels, lemons and grapefruit in the summer, Teague said in the statement.
According to the company website, Limoneira has “agricultural plantings throughout Ventura and Tulare Counties in California, which plantings consist of approximately 3,010 acres of lemons, 1,169 acres of avocados, 1,654 acres of oranges and 923 acres of specialty citrus and other crops. We also operate our own packinghouse in Santa Paula, California, where we process and pack lemons that we grow as well as lemons grown by others.”
