Encouragement can be found from the Capitol to the groves, and even in a message from one of this year’s Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees
From the Capitol to our groves, Florida citrus is witnessing some signs of good things on the horizon. In Tallahassee, we’re advocating for growers and witnessing a level of heightened awareness and support from state officials that could potentially help us put millions of new, greening-tolerant trees in the ground. In the groves, we’re seeing an even, plentiful bloom that is a positive foreshadowing of what’s in store for next season.
That’s not to say that the challenges are not great. Citrus greening is the greatest challenge to the Florida citrus industry we’ve ever known. That being said, I think former FCC Chairman Dan Richey said it best at the Citrus Hall of Fame banquet last Friday. If you weren’t there, you missed a great event where the past, present, and future of Florida citrus converged. I extend my congratulations to this year’s Citrus Hall of Fame inductees: Dr. Charles W. Adams (1879-1945), Dr. Jim Graham, and Dan Richey.
During his acceptance speech, Dan harkened to the fact that citrus greening is a worldwide problem, and as an international trade expert, he emphasized how our industry partners around the globe are looking to Florida to lead the way on solutions and the fight against citrus greening. He also called on his fellow Florida citrus growers to remain determined and steadfast, and to keep hope alive— that we can’t control everything, but we can control how we face this challenge. We are more determined than ever to answer that call.
Speaking of how we’re answering the call, the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) continues to spearhead marketing that helps keep Florida Citrus and Florida Orange Juice top-of-mind for consumers. At our FCC meeting last week, our global marketing team shared that the True Original display ads I mentioned in my last column— and that launched in early February— have driven $2.81m in attributed sales and over 450,000 purchases to-date and counting. The team also reported that we are on track to meet or exceed the attributed sales goal of $25m for the year, achieving 65 percent as of March 21.
The FDOC continues to monitor and maximize on the latest trends in beverage consumption to make sure that demand for Florida Orange Juice keeps flowing strong. Some of those trends were presented by Dr. Marisa Zansler, director of economic and market research, during last week’s FCC meeting. There was a wealth of data presented by Dr. Zansler, but one thing that really stuck out in my memory was that 80 percent of fruit juice consumers are purchasing orange juice, according to data collected from an OJ Consumer Tracking Survey. Another interesting tidbit from the survey was that consumers are most sensitive to price (I know; big shocker there), but that they also indicated that (other than water and white milk) 100% orange juice provides the highest quality for the money. This presents an opportunity for the Florida citrus industry. While we are working towards increasing supply by focusing on putting new trees in the ground, it’s essential for FDOC programs to continue their focus on raising awareness of the value of Florida Orange Juice and Florida Grapefruit Juice. When consumers know they get value for their money, they will buy the product, even during times of economic inflation and challenges to supply.
I hope this news leaves you encouraged. I know it did for me. Florida citrus growers are a resilient bunch, and I know we are working towards a brighter future.
Steve Johnson is Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus. He is the owner and general manager of Johnson Harvesting, Inc., based in Wauchula, FL.
