Tholen - The Florida grapefruit season has started. In Florida the fruit is being harvested, checked and packed. The first containers have been sent and this morning the first boat with Florida grapefruit arrived in Europe, in the port of Rotterdam to be precisely. "We have been confronted with a lot of rain and this has delayed the harvest. Fortunately, the rain did not affect the quality of the fruit. Our fruit is again of a good quality," says Bill Jarvis of Premier Citrus Packers, located in Vero Beach, Florida.

Premier Citrus Packers is a well-known producer from the traditional grapefruit area in Indian River County. Premier Citrus Packers has an acreage of approximately 29,000 acres and is one of the major grapefruit producers in Florida. Moreover, Premier Citrus Packers is one of the few producers who pack and export their own product. "We are vertically integrated and have everything in our own hands," says Bill Jarvis.

In the past, Premier Citrus Packers sold their fruit to an exporter. Because of the expanding volumes and the success, they decided to start their own export. Starting last year, Premier Citrus Packers exports their own fruit. "The United States, Europe and Japan are our most important markets. It’s hard to say which market is the most important one, because we simply need all of these markets," says Bill Jarvis.

The current season has started recently and Bill Jarvis has positive expectations for this season. "We are dealing with a smaller crop than last year, but it is a manageable crop," says Bill Jarvis. The hurricanes of the past couple of years and the rise of citrus canker didn’t make it easier for the growers," says Bill Jarvis.

"The easy years are over, but that’s no problem. Retailer only accept fruit of the best quality. Food safety and traceability are required. Because of this, the inspections are stricter. We have both inspections on the farm and at the packing station," says Bill Jarvis.

Grapefruit producers nowadays are forced to increase their business and acreage. Not only the costs are rising, but it is getting harder to give guarantees. "All clients require guarantees. On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly difficult to give these guarantee. Producers just don’t know what part of their harvest is suitable for export," says Bill Jarvis.

Bill Jarvis emphasizes this is absolutely no problem for Premier Citrus Packers. "We have everything in our own hands. Our fruit is absolutely citrus canker free and it is no problem for us to give guarantees. Our clients can set up programs with their clients without worries," says Bill Jarvis.

Contact:
Bill Jarvis
Premier Citrus Packers, LLC
PO Box 690759
Vero Beach, FL 32969-0759
Phone: + 1 772-299-8270
Fax: + 1772-567-2958

Publication date: 11/6/2007
Author: Lody van Berkel
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com