- Juice News
- Posts
- Troublesome Citrus Future makes 1 Tropicana Supplier to Cancel Operations in Florida After This Season
Troublesome Citrus Future makes 1 Tropicana Supplier to Cancel Operations in Florida After This Season
and Sugary drinks linked to millions of new diabetes and heart disease cases, while the US Surgeon General wants Cancer Warnings on all alcoholic beverages.
Jan van Iperen
January 06, 2025
For Professionals in the Juice and Citrus industry
Happy New Year everyone! 2025 is the year! For many reasons… and the fact that we’re off to a flying start says a lot. No sitting back and smelling the breeze… This is a year of action.
Let’s get to it!
Citrus in California.
🧃 Juice News
Global analysis published in Nature Medicine on Monday highlights growing health inequalities. In Latin America and the Caribbean, sugary drinks contributed to almost a quarter (24%) of new diabetes cases in 2020.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region that has seen the greatest percentage increase in cases from 1990 to 2020, sugary drinks led to more than one in five (21%) new diabetes cases and more than one in 10 (11%) new cases of heart disease.
Colombia, Mexico and South Africa have been particularly hard hit, according to the study from researchers at Tufts University in the US.
Sugary drinks were responsible for almost half (48%) of all new diabetes cases in Colombia. Nearly one-third of all new diabetes cases in Mexico were linked to sugary drinks, which were also connected to more than a quarter (27.6%) of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cases of cardiovascular disease in South Africa.
The U.S. surgeon general said alcoholic beverages should carry cancer warnings to increase awareness that the drinks are a leading cause of preventable cancers. An act of Congress would be required to change the existing warning labels on bottles of beer, wine and liquor. Today, federal rules require only a warning against drunken driving and drinking while pregnant, as well as a general warning that alcohol “may cause health problems.”
RCPL has been on an acquisition spree, both domestically and internationally, to grow its packaged consumer products business. In 2022, it had acquired Campa Cola from Pure Drinks Ltd.
The relaunch of Campa Cola at ₹10 for a 200ml pack rattled the market, compelling rivals like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dabur India, and Tata Consumer Products to recognize its impact on the larger beverages category.
🍊 Citrus News
Alico Citrus, which holds the Company’s citrus production operations, has faced increasing financial challenges from citrus greening disease and environmental factors for many seasons. The Company has decided to not spend further capital on its citrus operations after the current crop is harvested in 2025. It will focus its resources on creating new opportunities for profitable growth while also acting prudently on behalf of shareholders.
Korea’s marketing year (MY) 2024/25 citrus production is forecast down 2.6 percent to 565,000 MT, a 10-year low, on gradually declining acreage and adverse weather conditions. Jeju Island, where nearly all Korean citrus is grown, experienced a prolonged summer heat wave lasting into mid-September, followed by excessive fall rain, which caused fruit cracking and rot. Citrus consumption increased in MY 2023/24, as shortages of other domestic fruit (apples, pears, persimmons) led consumers to substitute with amply supplied domestic mandarins and imported oranges, whose consumption increased by 4.3 and 11.5 percent, respectively.
Early seasonal conditions for the MY 2024/25 citrus crop have been very favorable. Along with expansion in production area, growers anticipate an improvement in production and the prospect of high-quality fruit production. Orange production is expected to increase five percent to 545,000 metric tons (MT) from the prior’s year estimate, the highest over the last two decades. Tangerine/mandarin production is forecast to reach a record 225,000 MT. Orange exports are forecast to reach the third highest output on record of 190,000 MT, and tangerine/mandarin exports are expected to reach a new record of 105,000 MT for MY 2024/25.
Commons tactics have been treating orange trees with antibiotics and protecting young trees with mesh bags. This only prolongs their lifespan by a few rather than getting rid of the problems. In the meantime, the USDA has invested more than $400 million to address citrus greening, including more than $57 million through the Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program since 2014 to come to long-term solutions.
While the potential remedy from USDA is still being tested, the department said gene-edited trees could give growers a chance to combat citrus greening without pesticides or removing affected trees from orchards.
Post forecasts China’s overall citrus production in MY2024/25 will grow from MY2023/24, despite weather related challenges. Orange production is decreasing slightly due to the naturally smaller Navel crop year, while the production of tangerine/mandarins as well as pomelos/grapefruit will continue to grow. With China’s large supply and increasing demand from southeast countries, Post forecasts citrus exports will continue to grow in MY2024/25.
The clementine is actually a part of the tangerine family of fruits. Like the seedless banana, clementines do not exist in the wild. They are entirely the fruit of spontaneous human ingenuity which arose in the late 19th century in Algeria, in the garden of the orphanage of the French Missionary Brother Clément Rodier, for whom it was formally named in 1902.
🔬 Research Worth Reading
In collaboration with leading institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and the Citrus Research Institute (CRI), a team of researchers has delivered a comprehensive metabolic analysis of citrus species. Their findings (DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad267), published in Horticulture Research on December 19, 2023, detail a metabolite-based genome-wide association study (mGWAS) conducted on 154 pummelo accessions. This analysis uncovers the genetic and biochemical underpinnings of metabolomic diversity, with a focus on the phenylpropanoid pathway, a central hub for flavonoid and other bioactive compound production.
To ensure consumers safety regarding exposure to MTs via fruit juice consumption, it is essential to regularly monitor the MTs levels and compare the contamination concentrations with internationally accepted limits. Also, research is required to discern fruit cultivars that exhibit resistance to fungal decay and develop treatment approaches for managing fungal pathogens in both pre-harvest and post-harvest stages.
The findings underscore the necessity for innovative strategies and sustainable practices to sustain competitiveness. The study concludes with practical recommendations for stakeholders, advocating for enhanced research and development, improved disease management, and diversification into value-added products to meet evolving market demands. This review offers valuable insights for policymakers, industry participants, and researchers seeking to promote resilience and growth within the orange sector
✨ Classifieds
Sponsorship and Classifieds will start as of February 3rd 2025.
Slots opening up soon.
Brilliant. You read it all.
I can tell you one thing: I like you!
Since November 2014, this newsletter has saved tens of thousands professionals countless hours in their daily search for relevant industry information.
Juice News is a daily publication by Last Week Media (an indie media operation), and provides news, insights and research information curated daily by Jan van Iperen. This is a one-man-show, but I work hard and smart. Automation and self-developed tools make it possible to do this, besides my regular day job. Your support is appreciated.