A Promising Year for Citrus, Bolstered by U.S. Quality and Strategic Imports
In a conversation with AgNet West, Jesse Silva, Vice President of Sales at Kings River Packing, painted an optimistic picture of the citrus industry for 2025. With strong volume and standout quality on the horizon, Silva emphasized that California citrus continues to be a consumer favorite—both domestically and abroad.
“A lot of people really love the stories of how hard the farmers work here,” Silva said. “Any way you can support U.S.-grown fruit is really key for a lot of these retailers, especially the local grown area retailers here in California.”
California’s unique climate plays a key role in citrus quality. The region’s cool evenings and warm days help produce fruit with vibrant color and high sugar content—qualities that appeal to both U.S. consumers and international buyers. “We grow really clean fruit. We grow really good tasting fruit,” Silva noted.
Currently, Kings River Packing is harvesting its domestic Valencia crops—known as a key variety for juice production. While late navels are wrapping up, summer lemon harvest is ongoing, and imports are ramping up to supplement supply.
“We’re focused on imports from Chile,” Silva added. “We’ve got mandarins, navels, lemons, caracaras, and miniolas all coming from outside the country.”
With both high domestic demand and strong international appeal, California citrus remains a standout in the fresh produce market, supported by dedicated growers and smart global sourcing.
Read more, and listen to Nick Papagni’s full interview with Jesse Sil;va here.