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Florida citrus company begins shipping peaches
By Doug Ohlemeier
VERO BEACH, Fla. Hoping the deal expands like Floridas blueberry production, a leading Indian River citrus grower-shipper is growing and packing peaches.
Doug Ohlemeier
Grady Welchel (left), harvesting manager of Premier
Citrus Packers Inc., Vero Beach, Fla., and Richard
Miller, domestic sales manager, visit the companys
peach grove in late March. Premier, a prominent
Indian River citrus grower and packer, is venturing
into peach production.
Premier Citrus Packers LLC this plans to expand its commercial shipments of peaches, with 100 acres planted north of Fort Pierce in a former citrus grove destroyed by citrus canker.
Premier expects to pack 250,000 pounds of peaches this season and plans to double production next year, said Richard Miller, domestic sales manager.
Because unseasonably cold weather slowed fruit maturity and prolonged bloom, Premier plans to begin harvest April 15, about two weeks later than normal, he said. Premiers peaches run through May.
We are on the ground floor of a new deal and will be the only domestic game in town from early April through May, Miller said. The chain stores that used these last year couldnt get enough to take care of just one of their divisions as many have several distribution centers in Florida. Its something that has pent-up demand. We are not even close to fulfilling that demand.
Miller said the peaches should provide a five- to six-week window after most peach imports have finished and before Georgia production begins in mid May.
Doug Ohlemeier
Premier Citrus Packers LLC, Vero Beach, Fla.,
is entering the peach deal.
Because Premier plans to ship tree-ripened peaches instead of ready-to-ship varieties, Grady Welchel, harvesting manager, said the fruits limited shelf life means growers must quickly grade, pack, cool and ship to Premiers Florida and Atlanta retail and wholesale customers.
Being tree-ripened and ready-to-eat varieties, we have only four to five days of opportunity once theyre picked, Welchel said. Logistics are important. They have to move. We are learning as we go.
Premier is renovating a packing line near the grove, Welchel said, and plans include hand-packing in single-layer, display ready panta packs with 20-50 fruit counts.
Premier is growing the University of Florida-developed tropic beauty and UF sun varieties.
