News and Stories

UPDATE: Orange Harvesting Transition

October 17, 2019

California’s Valencia orange season only has a few more weeks of production. The Navel season has officially begun; harvesting began this week. New crop Navels will start shipping early as next week.

  • Valencias will be available into early November, while simultaneously, Navel volume will ramp up
  • A split market between the Navel and Valencia varieties is expected on smaller sizes (113-count and smaller fruit) over the next few weeks; growers will be rushing to sell remaining Valencia inventory to get ahead of the influx of early season Navels
  • Color challenges:
    • Valencias will have a deep orange color with occasional green casts    
    • Navels will have a lighter orange/pale yellow tint for the next three to four weeks, depending on weather
  • Sugar levels:
    • Valencias continue to range from 13 to 14 Brix
    • Early new crop Navels will be slightly less sweet, with with Brix levels as low as 10
    • Navel sugars will increase daily as fruit matures

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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