DNE expects promotable volumes of red grapefruit
DNE expects promotable volumes of red grapefruit
In the early stages of the Florida grapefruit season, DNE World Fruit LLC, headquartered in Fort Pierce, FL, was anticipating very good supplies of promotable volumes of bagged red grapefruit this season.
‘Ocean Spray’ branded citrus from DNE World Fruit. (Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of Citrus)“The fruit has good brix levels for the December through March season,” said Kevin Swords, Florida program manager for the company. “The external quality of the grapefruit also seems a little cleaner than last year.”
DNE is celebrating its 100 anniversary in business in 2015. During those years the company has evolved into a global marketer, packer and shipper.
In 1997 the company entered into a strategic marketing alliance with Ocean Spray on fresh citrus. Through this alliance, DNE became the exclusive distributor of fresh citrus under the well-recognized “Ocean Spray” brand.
Swords said the big opportunity for Florida grapefruit will be after the holidays.
“We’ll have bags and smaller sized fruit,” he explained. “These are perfect sizes for consumers to make home squeezed fresh grapefruit juice with the family.”
He added that the same is true regarding sizes with juice and Valencia oranges.
“Even though the juice orange crop volume is down [in Florida] we will still have good supplies of bagged oranges to go along with our grapefruit,” said Swords. “Tangerines will be tight throughout the entire season this year.”
Since 1992, DNE World Fruit has ventured outside of Florida citrus in order to offer customers year-round quality citrus. Today, it imports citrus from Australia, South Africa, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Spain and Morocco, as well as kiwi from Italy.