LGS Specialty Sales, a leading importer of citrus, avocados, grapes, and persimmons, has expressed great enthusiasm for South African Star Ruby grapefruit, offering the high-quality citrus to retailers earlier than scheduled.
The group noted that it “stood out as a reliable supplier”, with the company’s volumes of early summer Star Ruby grapefruit now available for shipment from New Jersey in the US, writes Fruitnet.
This has reflected the growing demand for this premium citrus variety.
“Our customers continue to partner with us because we work to secure fresh produce, like grapefruit, when the market is in need,” said Luke Sears, president and founder of LGS Specialty Sales.
“If a retailer is having a hard time sourcing import grapefruit right now, look no further.”
LGS sources its grapefruit from farms in South Africa’s “Mediterranean-like climate”, which is ideal for cultivating high-quality citrus.
The company has recommended retailers start their grapefruit import programs with them to take advantage of the healthy volume of South African Star Ruby grapefruit available now through October.
SA doubles its citrus exports to the US in less than six years
In related news, South Africa’s citrus exports to the US have more than doubled since 2019, as reported by The South African.
Citrus exports for the Northern Hemisphere summer kicked off, with a bumper crop of “sweet and delicious citrus” arriving at the port of Philadelphia earlier this month.
As the 2024 harvesting season begins, Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) is looking to follow a successful 2023 campaign – a year that marked 25 years of shipping citrus to the US.
SCSA highlighted the milestone as an “exciting time” for the industry.
“We are officially 25 years on the sunny side and commencing into our 26th season with a healthy crop of sweet and delicious citrus fruit headed to the port of Philadelphia in the coming days and more to come throughout the summer months,” Suhanra Conradie, CEO of SCSA told Fruitnet at the time.