Though the majority of oranges brought into the United States from Mexico are Valencia, local production of Navels still has an impact on the market for imported fruit. As California Navels are still available, prices for imported Valencias from Mexico have been kept in check.
“Though prices have gotten better these last two weeks, they are still low,” said Enrique Gracia with Flavor King Farms. “California has a lot of Navel production that competes with our fruit. Our Valencias are better juicing oranges and have an excellent flavor, but Navels are preferred in the United States as eating oranges because they are easier to peel.”
Flavor King's Valencias are grown all over the Mexican state of Sonora, and they are readied for shipment at a packing facility in Hermosillo. Though the majority of the company's production is for conventional fruit, about a third is dedicated to organic oranges. Organic fruit brings better prices, but Gracia insists that they don't grow organic oranges, which are marketed under the A&A Organic label, for strictly economic reasons.
“Since we started, we've been growing organic fruit,” said Gracia. “We know the difference between conventional and organic, and we know how good organic fruit is. So, from the beginning, we decided to grow organic fruit because we know how good it is for the land and for the people.”
