Florida Orange Growers Shift More of 2026 Crop to Fresh Market
Florida citrus growers plan to sell a larger share of their 2026 orange crop as fresh fruit instead of sending it for processing. Earlier sales, slightly higher fresh-market prices and limited competition in small sizes could support grower returns, while reducing the fruit available to juice plants.
Growers target fresh-fruit sales
Florida orange growers are preparing to direct a larger share of their coming crop to the fresh market, reducing the proportion sent for processing. Doug Feek of Feek Family Citrus told FreshPlaza that growers, including his company, want to prioritize fresh sales after traditionally treating industrial orange juice as their main outlet.
The change does not mean that the entire crop can meet fresh-market requirements. However, Feek said improved care of orchards and fruit should provide substantially more fresh-market availability this year. Fresh oranges generally need stronger external quality than fruit delivered for juicing, making orchard management, appearance and size more important to growers pursuing this channel.
Timing improves the fresh-market opportunity
Prices in the fresh segment can be slightly higher than juice-sector prices, but timing is also central to the decision. Florida growers have harvested for the fresh market since early October, while processing plants traditionally do not open until late December. The gap allows producers to sell part of the crop during the early market rather than waiting for juice factories to begin accepting fruit.
Feek Family Citrus expects harvesting to begin lightly in the week of September 21, in line with the usual schedule. The company plans to start grapefruit harvesting on September 21 and juice oranges on September 25, followed by navels, mandarins and additional grapefruit in the week of September 28. It will continue marketing imported navels and lemons through October and Midnight Oranges through November, maintaining supply while Florida’s domestic season develops.
Quality improves as small sizes face limited competition
FreshPlaza reported that Florida’s 2026 orange crop is expected to produce healthy fruit with better external quality, good Brix levels and favorable ratios compared with previous seasons. Total crop volume is forecast to be slightly higher than last year. Sizes are expected to remain small early in the season before increasing in January and February. Favorable growing conditions have supported that outlook: dry weather during fruit set was followed by rainfall when the fruit needed moisture to gain size.
Demand prospects are also favorable because Chile, South Africa and California are all reported to have shortages of small fruit. According to Feek, California is expected to finish its season within weeks, while Chile is completing its final shipments. South African Midnight Oranges are due to arrive in October, but those supplies are also weighted toward larger sizes. He therefore expects little competition in the small-size segment and prices broadly comparable with last year.
For growers, the strategy offers access to earlier revenue and potentially better prices, although only fruit meeting fresh specifications can be diverted from processing. For juice manufacturers, a larger fresh-market allocation could tighten the pool of Florida oranges available when plants open in late December. The eventual impact will depend on how much fruit qualifies for fresh sale and how the slightly larger overall harvest is divided between the two channels.
