Citrus packers hope for top dollar season

They may not know it, but many Americans are about to get a little taste of Yuma.

With the start of the local citrus packing season, crops such as lemons will end up in many people's glasses of water, pies and other culinary creations.

Yuma's citrus packing companies could have a good lemon season, said Glenn C. Wright, associate research specialist for the division of horticulture and crop sciences with the University of Arizona.

"Overall, I think we'll be in pretty good shape," he said.

There was a bumper crop in 2008 because of a freeze the year before, Wright said. This year, he said there will probably be about 25 percent to 30 percent less crop than last year, but because the 2008 crop was large, this year is more normal.

"The combination of a big crop last year with the economic downturn, and also big crops from our competing countries, led to prices that were not as high as the growers would have liked to have seen," he said.

Competitors in countries such as Chile and Mexico are wrapping up their packing season in September and October, Wright said. And growers in southern California may go year-round, but the time when they have less product is in the fall, he said. 

In Yuma, the lemon season runs from just after Labor Day until February or the end of March, but other fruit such as minneolas, oranges or grapefruit might run a little longer, he said.

That minimal competition could set the Yuma market up for success.

Factors such as a decrease in product from last year with increased demand will help the growers and packers get top dollar for their crops.

"Just looking at it as a comparison of last season to this season, it looks like things are going to be good market wise," said Bill Spencer, president and chief operating officer of Associated Citrus Packers Inc. in Yuma.

Wright said there's no exact way to know how much of the lemon crop will go for packing because some fruit goes on to become other products such as juice, rather than stay whole fruit.

 "Of course some of the fruit last year never even got picked off the tree because there was so much of it," Wright said.

And factors such as the economy, with a decreased demand for lemons in the food service industry, could play a role in the prices.

However, Wright said, retail trade could be up a little bit, with more people eating at home.

It's hard to know what the demand will be like, but Wright said when it comes to the quality of the fruit, Yuma is in a good position.

"Of course the first part of the season is always better than the quality at the end, but overall I think we'll be in pretty good shape," Wright said. "And if the economy improves, that will make it even better."

When it comes to location, Wright said Yuma is an ideal place for lemon trees.

Since the 1950s, lemons have been grown commercially in the Yuma area, with evidence of citrus grown since the Spanish explored the area.

"Lemons actually like this weather," Spencer said.

Spencer said temperatures in the 104 degree to 107 degree range, along with the humidity, are good and help the size of the fruit.

Frost is not common in the area, and Wright said that's good because lemons are more susceptible to frost than many other types of citrus.

Wright said there are also less pests and diseases in the Yuma area, and that helps add to the quality of the fruit.

But there is one more thing that would help give the lemons that final push and increase the size before growers start picking next month.

"If we can have some rain, that would be even better," Wright said.