Some navels affected by South Africa drought.
Some anticipate volume to be down at least 20% as a result of splitting and drop, attributed to the extended dry weather, and others predict the drought will have a minimal effect on their citrus program, if any at all.
Seven Seas is part of Springfield, Ill.-based Tom Lange Co.
“Arrivals of navels in August will be affected,” Vinson said, “and we will be out of South African navels in September.” Other companies did not foresee a particularly significant effect of the drought and associated issues on their crops.
Chuck Yow, director of U.S. sales and business development for Capesan North America, said the company expects about a 10% decline from last year’s shipment volume.
That could change, he said, but for now Capespan doesn’t view the extended dry weather as devastating for its South Africa navel crop.
“We’re by no means in a panic situation,” Yow said, noting that the Western Cape hasn’t been nearly as hard-hit by the drought as the Eastern Cape.
Andreas Economou, CEO for Philadelphia-based Tastyfrutti International, said his company also expects a strong market in the U.S. given the early finish by California.
Tastyfrutti doesn’t expect any decrease in volume due to the drought.
None of the companies expect the drought to affect the beginning of shipments, several of which are scheduled to kick off in mid- to late June.