Seald Sweet enjoying sales of high-quality clementines
Seald Sweet enjoying sales of high-quality clementines
PHILADELPHIA -- Early maturity and Brix for Spanish clementines are better than normal, according to Bill Weyland, director of imports for Seald Sweet International LLC in Vero Beach, FL. The pre-Thanksgiving clementine varieties were developing internally at a faster rate than in 2005. With another shipload of clementines arriving in early December at Philadelphia's Tioga Marine Fruit Terminal, the citrus continued to look very good.
By about Dec. 18, Mr. Weyland said, Seald Sweet was planning to be offering the retail trade two- and three-pound bags of "Seald Sweet" brand Spanish clementines, which will be packed to order from a New Jersey facility. The bags add to retailers' clementine sales because a "new purchaser" clientele is buying them that did not want a quantity as large as the more common five- pound box.
On Dec. 4, amidst many pallets of "Seald Sweet" brand fruit in the terminal's warehouse, Mr. Weyland said, "Now we are in the mid-season varieties." These include Clemenules and some Arufatinas. "As expected, the size of the Spanish clementines has slightly increased," he said. In early December, about 50-60 percent of the clementines were size 28, with less than 10 percent of the imports ranking as extra large, or sizes 18 and 20.
"Surprisingly, we saw a higher level of interest on [size] 32s before Thanksgiving, but now we're moving toward 28-count. The fruit is clean, and quality wise, as an industry, this year there are very few problems. The Brix now is 12 and 13, which is very good," he said.
The Spanish program traditionally ends in early February with the Hernandina variety.
Mr. Weyland said that Seald Sweet is also marketing a limited amount of Moroccan clementines, which will be reaching peak import volume in January and February.
Seald Sweet received a few containers of Moroccan clementines at Port Elizabeth, NJ, prior to Thanksgiving.
Mr. Weyland said that the Midwest is a good buyer of clementines and markets in Atlanta and Florida are quickly expanding, with "excellent distribution." He said that the Northeast is the market closest to reaching maturity, but he is confident that the U.S. market has plenty of capacity to receive imported clementines atop California's rapidly increasing production.
Also in early December, Seald Sweet was marketing Brazilian fresh grapes. The Produce News will expand on that in January.
By about Dec. 18, Mr. Weyland said, Seald Sweet was planning to be offering the retail trade two- and three-pound bags of "Seald Sweet" brand Spanish clementines, which will be packed to order from a New Jersey facility. The bags add to retailers' clementine sales because a "new purchaser" clientele is buying them that did not want a quantity as large as the more common five- pound box.
On Dec. 4, amidst many pallets of "Seald Sweet" brand fruit in the terminal's warehouse, Mr. Weyland said, "Now we are in the mid-season varieties." These include Clemenules and some Arufatinas. "As expected, the size of the Spanish clementines has slightly increased," he said. In early December, about 50-60 percent of the clementines were size 28, with less than 10 percent of the imports ranking as extra large, or sizes 18 and 20.
"Surprisingly, we saw a higher level of interest on [size] 32s before Thanksgiving, but now we're moving toward 28-count. The fruit is clean, and quality wise, as an industry, this year there are very few problems. The Brix now is 12 and 13, which is very good," he said.
The Spanish program traditionally ends in early February with the Hernandina variety.
Mr. Weyland said that Seald Sweet is also marketing a limited amount of Moroccan clementines, which will be reaching peak import volume in January and February.
Seald Sweet received a few containers of Moroccan clementines at Port Elizabeth, NJ, prior to Thanksgiving.
Mr. Weyland said that the Midwest is a good buyer of clementines and markets in Atlanta and Florida are quickly expanding, with "excellent distribution." He said that the Northeast is the market closest to reaching maturity, but he is confident that the U.S. market has plenty of capacity to receive imported clementines atop California's rapidly increasing production.
Also in early December, Seald Sweet was marketing Brazilian fresh grapes. The Produce News will expand on that in January.
