Winter months a sweet, juicy time for HGO citrus
Winter months a sweet, juicy time for HGO citrus
Orbs of nutrition, all wrapped up in California sunshine — that’s how Homegrown Organic Farms describes its citrus. The company, headquartered in Porterville, CA, is one of the state’s leading growers and suppliers of certified organic fruit.
Citrus Category Director Craig Morris said the months of December through March are the heart of the citrus season. “We farm approximately 65 percent of citrus acreage ourselves,” he told The Produce News. The balance of citrus volume is supplied through the company’s network of outside growers.
HGO has citrus availability throughout the year but specializes in a number of items during the winter months. Those items include navel, Carra Carra and Moro Blood oranges as well as lemons, Satsumas and Clementines. Valencia oranges are marketed beginning in March, and W. Murcotts are sold beginning in February.
Morris said the organic citrus category has been a strong performer, and HGO has seen a 100-percent growth rate during the past three years. He anticipates moderate growth during the coming years, which he attributed to volume increases, additional capacity on transitioning acreage, and inclusion of new organic growers in their network.
Looking at crop condition, Morris said, “Overall, I consider the quality this year to be far above normal. We are truly blessed with a wonderful crop.”
Morris said sales in the organic sector continue to show increases. “The number one factor driving organic purchases is health and wellness,” he stated. “Consumers want to know where their food is coming from.”
Also important, he said consumers are increasingly recognizing the value of the organic purchases they make as more than a matter of sheer price. “We really lacked on the marketing side educating consumers why organic costs more,” he observed about the industry as a whole. Ongoing efforts continue to educate consumers about the practices such as hand hoeing and weeding utilized by organic farmers to bring their crops to the marketplace.
HGO markets bulk organic citrus under its “Tule Classic” label. Bagged fruit is marketed under the “Homegrown Organic Farms” label, and imported citrus is marketed under the “Bella Terra” label, primarily during the summer months.
The retail sector accounts for 75 percent of direct product movement. “But we also use indirect to market our citrus,” Morris said of other avenues.
While HGO doesn’t have any plans to add new commodities to its citrus manifest at this time, Morris said, “We are balancing what we have and beefing up some areas.”
