Californian citrus handlers are being urged to wait 48 hours before packing and shipping fruit harvested on or after 11 December so that quality assessments can be carried out in the wake of last week’s freeze.
Agricultural commissions in counties including Kern, Tulare and Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley made the request in a letter to packers, which said that very effort would be made to accommodate packing schedules in spite of the holding period. The letter also stated that packers could carry out their own sampling prior to official samples being taken by commission staff. Any fruit packed or shipped before an official sample has been taken will result in a Notice of Violation being issued and possible further action, the commission said.
The extent of the damage from the six-day cold snap will be assessed in the coming weeks. At this state, mandarins are believed to have suffered the most damage, while navels have been affected to a lesser degree.
The commission is expected to release a statement about the 48-hour holding period later this week.
