The Youth Soccer Association in the US will again this year be supported by the South African citrus growers who market their fruit in the country.
Support for the soccer tournament is part of the South African promotional programme, which is also increasingly focusing on in-store activities.
The Western Cape Citrus Producers Forum (WCCPF), which coordinates the South African promotional programme in the US, says it is the fourth year that it will be supporting the tournament, having seen efforts at last year's tournament strongly linked to the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals in South Africa.
The WCCPF says soccer is the fastest growing sport in the US and that by supporting the event it hopes to spread its message of the 'delicious and nutritious taste' of South African citrus fruit amongst the youth in the country.
Well-known Cape citrus farmer and chairman of the citrus forum, Gerrit van der Merwe, says the association with US Youth Soccer follows naturally from the country’s involvement in citrus marketing in the US.
The US Youth Soccer partnership starts tomorrow (1 July) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with more than 5,000 players from Maine to West Virginia participating in a regional tournament. Thereafter the focus will shift to the US Youth Soccer National Championships in Phoenix, Arizona, which starts on 27 July. Teams in the Under-14 and Under-19 age groups for boys and girls will participate and it is expected that some 8,000 players and spectators from across the country will attend.
During the tournaments citrus fruit, mainly navels and clementines, will be provided to spectators and players, while players will also receive water bottles and backpacks with summer citrus logos on them, and consumers will benefit from the distribution of coupons, recipes and temporary tattoos during store visits and at the athletic events.
A Summer Citrus Photo Contest will also be launched at the Lancaster playoffs, inviting participants and spectators to post their photos enjoying South African Citrus on the WCCPF’s Facebook page.
Van der Merwe says the Forum will run a strong social media programme during this season, which aims to provide healthy and easy recipes to consumers. In doing so they will highlight the fact that oranges and clementines are both easy to eat, transportable and adaptable to any meal or snack.
The South African citrus export programme to the US will continue until October. Despite the fact that the South African crop will be smaller this year and US supplies have to compete with some strong early markets in other parts of the world, the size specification this year is very good and the total tonnage should match last year's.
