SFR: Navels, clementine tangerines, and lemons are going to get expensive !

Much below freezing temperatures in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California is going to either severly damage or even possibly destroy the remaining navel orange, clementine tangerine, and lemon crops there ... already damaged last night and temperatures are expected to be even more severe for at least the next three nights ... while lemons are also grown in Southern California and Arizona, navel oranges are grown in only limited acreages in that area and clementine tangerines are only grown in the Central Valley ... a VERY sad weekend for a LOT of citrus growers/farmers !!!!!!

Sorry to hear this, Bill. It's tough on the farmer's and those Clementines are a big favorite of ours.


Mike

[Robin Garr]

clementine tangerines are only grown in the Central Valley ... a VERY sad weekend for a LOT of citrus growers/farmers !!!!!!

Sad indeed, Bill.

Any news on satsuma mandarins? I know they're very seasonal, but I like them even better than clementines when they're available. I have no idea if they're grown in the same places or different.

Our produce buyer got the call early this morning from our citrus supplier in Ventura -
"We're done here - everything is shot. We're closing the packing shed and everyone is going home."
Our secondary sources on citrus told us to throw away our price lists - everything will be priced on a day to day basis.
Lettuce is spiking too, and will go much higher over the next few weeks.

Hold on to your wallets, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Oh and Robin, about the Satsumas, I believe they are coming to the end of the road as well. The price has been increasing over the last few weeks, a sure sign that supply is drying up.

Thanks to the freeze, now's the chance to really try out the quality vs price equation and see where your breakpoint lies.

Oh m'darling clementines, you are lost and gone forever . . . .

-Paul W. (dreadful sorry for the bad pun)

-Paul W. (dreadful sorry for the bad pun)

Um, no, I don't think you are!

It's a good thing New Mexico doesn't grow citrus. It got down to minus 32 in Eagle Nest, NM yesterday morning. Take that, Minnesooota!

Today's Safeway flyer has California Navels at 33cents/lb. I think I'll take myself over there and get a few, since they won't be that cheap again for a while ...

Dave

It's worth mentioning, Bill, that it isn't only the growers that will suffer -- there are lots of other support people, from pickers to truckers, and lots of tax dollars from fuel to income taxes to sales taxes -- this is a serious tragedy for many really important people that we consumers rely on.

As a former farmer, my heart goes out to all of you. Regards, Bob

[Jenise]

Bill, what a horrible tragedy for you and your fellow farmers in Arizona and California. Heartbreaking. And it's even worse: in Ventura, where friends of mine live and have been describing conditions to me, they're not just worried about the current crop but that they've lost many trees as well. Established orchards willl suffer, and new orchards planted within the last 5 or 6 years are probably total losses.