2011-12 navel crop estimate

The 2011-12 estimate has come in at about 8% off of last year's crop.  This would make this year's crop about an average sized crop as last year was one of the largest crops California has seen in a few years.  The fruit size is better than last year and the season seems to be maturing a little later than last year.

Hot Summer Days

We are in the middle of our typical hot time during the summer, but all in all, it has been rather mild.  We have not seen prolonged periods of time above 100 degrees as we might and have only had a few days above 106 degrees.  How this is going to play out for this coming season's crop is anyone's quess.

The upcoming navel crop, as wll as the moro bloods looks to be lighter than last year.  Most of the "old-timers" are quessing the crop to be 15 to 20 percent off of last year's limb buster, so we should see a manageable crop of navels and less volume of moro bloods than last year. The cara crop is also slightly off, but due to increased plantings and tree growth, we will see an overall increase in volume. 

The navels look to have a good round shape and are sizing well in this summer period.  The official C.A.S.S. estimate comes out in September.  Stay tuuned...

Video Stars?

Mark Gillette and his wife Penny were recently feature in three Sunkist webisodes discussing their family history in the citrus business, the various varieties of citrus available and Penny works with Chef Danhi to prepare a great lunch. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/SUNKIST

 

 

Spring Bloom

This year’s bloom has now dropped and everyone is trying to determine what size crop we will have for next year.  As it is too early to see how much of the young fruit will stay on the tree, we do think this looks like a lighter crop than this past year. 

 

Our weather has been mild and this will help to hold this new fruit on the tree; however, if the weather heats up too fast or just stays hot for any length of time, we could drop more fruit than we would like.  We will have a better idea on the outlook for this new crop in July and he official CASS estimate comes out in early September.

This past year’s navel crop was challenging: small sizes, poor weather, and fruit pliability; however, we worked hard to provide a quality package and appreciate all of our customer’s efforts to help move this season’s crop.

We are currently harvesting valencias and we are mainly exporting as the domestic market still prefers navels.  The valencias are on the smaller size with fruit peaking on 88’s and 113’s.  The fruit has a very good eating quality and there has been no regreening.  

Sunkist revenue tops $1 billion — Gillette elected Chairman

Sunkist Growers revenues topped $1 billion in 2010 for the 10th time in 20 years, Sunkist president Russell Hanlin said at the citrus marketing cooperative’s meeting in California.

More than 800 growers attended the 117th annual meeting Feb. 23 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, according to a news release.

Hanlin attributed the revenue results to improved coordination between Sunkist’s sales and production wings.

“We were faced with, and successfully overcame, many difficulties imposed by the weak global economy,” Hanlin said in the release. “We ended the year strong and financially stable … more efficient and well-positioned for continued success.”

Mark Gillette, Dinuba, Calif., was elected to his first term as chairman of the Sunkist board. He succeeds Nick Bozick, president of at Richard Bagdasarian Inc., Mecca, Calif., who served five consecutive terms — the maximum under Sunkist bylaws, according to the release.

Mark Gillette, a fourth generation citrus grower, is president of the Sunkist-affiliated Gillette Citrus Inc., a vertically integrated company that grows, packs and ships fresh citrus. He grows Navel, Cara Cara, and Moro oranges; Mandarins; Lemons and Valencia oranges in Fresno and Tulare counties.

 After Mr. Gillette earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he joined the Lockheed Missiles and Space Corporation before establishing Gillette Citrus Inc. in partnership with his father, Dean and brother, Jay and Grandfather Earl in 1983. 

Mr. Gillette has served on the Sunkist Board of Directors since 1999 and was elected as a Vice Chair of the Executive Committee for the five of those years. He is also a long-time board member and past Vice-Chairman of Fruit Growers Supply Company, a manufacturing and supply cooperative which provides services for grower-members of Sunkist.

Other board choices include vice chairmen William Chaney, Sun City, Ariz.; Gerald Denni, Strathmore, Calif.; and James Finch, Ojai, Calif. Chaney, a lemon and specialty citrus grower, is president of Marlin Packing Co. and three other firms under the Marlin name. Denni is general manager of Golden Valley Citrus and co-owner of Mittman-Denni Citrus Management, which oversees more than 1,800 acres of California citrus.

Finch was elected to the Sunkist board in 2004 from the Saticoy Fruit Exchange. He grows lemons, oranges and avocados in Ventura County.

Twenty-seven board members were elected or reelected.