Sunkist starts new citrus season with strong crop outlook

Sunkist Growers is entering the new California citrus season with solid availability expected across several key varieties.

The cooperative’s seasonal range includes Navels, Cara Cara oranges, mandarins, Blood oranges, Minneola tangelos, lemons, grapefruit and organic citrus.

Ahead of the IFPA Global Show, Sunkist is also highlighting new training tools, retail programs and consumer marketing initiatives aimed at supporting citrus sales.

New Produce Academy

One of the main launches this season is Sunkist Produce Academy, a new online training platform for produce industry professionals.

The platform is designed to help users improve product knowledge, selling skills and understanding of retail, foodservice and produce operations.

Training covers several produce categories and is intended to help companies identify sales opportunities while making staff training more efficient.

Sunkist will also hold live demonstrations at its booth during the IFPA Global Show on Thursday and Friday.

Stronger consumer engagement

The company is continuing to develop its Welcome to the Co-Op consumer platform, which focuses on the growers and families behind the Sunkist cooperative.

Cassie Howard, Senior Director of Category Management and Marketing at Sunkist Growers, said the approach helps strengthen the brand by putting growers at the centre of its story and giving consumers a closer connection to the people behind the fruit.

Sunkist says the platform is helping increase consumer awareness and engagement as the new season begins.

Mandarins continue to grow

Sunkist Cali Mandarins remain an important part of the company’s portfolio.

The program has recorded double-digit volume growth and is attracting interest not only from families but also from Millennial and Gen Z consumers.

During the coming season, Sunkist plans to support the range with seasonal promotions, family-focused campaigns and character-led partnerships.

Organic citrus remains a focus

Sunkist is also expanding support for its organic citrus business, backed by more than 25 years of organic production.

The company plans to introduce new packaging solutions and continue its Power with the Pink Orange Cara Cara partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The partnership recently received the foundation’s 2026 Corporate Service Award for its support of breast cancer education, early detection and assistance programs.

Christian Harris, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Sunkist Growers, said the cooperative’s current strategy is based on continuous improvements across operations, customer service and long-term business planning rather than relying on individual initiatives.

Seasonal retail programs return

Sunkist is preparing a new round of retail, foodservice and consumer campaigns for the season.

Last year, its holiday carton program helped increase Navel orange volume by 24%.

This season, the cooperative will again offer holiday packaging, Lunar New Year merchandising materials, new seasonal giro bag options and additional consumer promotions.

Visitors to the IFPA Global Show can meet Sunkist at Booth #2443 to learn more about crop availability, Sunkist Produce Academy and the company’s latest retail and consumer initiatives.

Interested in working with Sunkist or learning more about its citrus programs? Send your inquiry.