A January cold snap spikes the price of citrus 

Latest assessments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture put the loss to Florida citrus growers from January’s cold snap at 7.4 million boxes of fruit at minimum — this on top of a harvest forecast that was already 20% off peak. Bad news for consumers but, as The Ledger of Lakeland, Fla., reports, by forcing prices up the freeze-related losses may have turned a money-losing 2009-10 season into a profitable one for growers, especially in groves that escaped significant damages.

For produce wholesalers and distributors who want to protect profit margins, one option is to look for alternative sources in California or Texas (also affected by the cold snap, although with more damage to onions than citrus)— or further afield. The Datamyne can help here: our bill of lading database yields current information on who’s shipping citrus now; and our international databases include the top countries for U.S. citrus imports, Mexico, Spain and Chile. To learn more about using The Datamyne to find new sources or new customers, contact us.

Update: On February 27, Chile was struck by an 8.8 earthquake. Aftershocks continue to hamper rescue and recovery. Go to http://www.google.com/relief/chileearthquake/ if you are looking for or have information about someone in Chile—or want to contribute to relief efforts.

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