AS THE NUMBER of peach acres continues to climb in Florida, so does the consumer’s love for this sensation. The Florida peach is not only juicy and sweet, but they’re also the only peaches available from mid-March to mid-May. What spells opportunity better than a great product and a market window with no direct competitors? Nothing that I can think of. And that is exactly why you see more peach orchards in Florida every year. Growers are picking up on the demand for this Florida commodity.
At Central Florida Ag News, we’ve covered this commodity every harvest year from its early beginnings to now. This edition, we’re keeping with that tradition, and shedding more light on this growing industry. Some of the hot topics you’ll read about in this edition’s coverage are the market size of the peach, challenges and successes of growing this year, harvesting update, and acreage growth. You’ll hear from some new players to the field, as well as some citrus growers who were looking to diversify their crops.
Plus, recognizing the demand for a trade-technical, business-to-business news source, we’ve created a new publication called The Peach News. This quarterly magazine helps industry growers, experts, and agribusiness professionals stay informed and up to date on the latest commodity news and research. If you’re a grower interested in receiving this magazine, you can subscribe for free by going to southeasternpeachgrowers.com. If you’re not a grower, but still wish to receive The Peach News in the mail, then you can subscribe online for only $19.95.
As if peaches were not enough good news, however, in this edition of CFAN we’re also honoring women in agriculture by highlighting some of them and their key roles in the field. We hope you enjoy this special edition of Central Florida Ag News, and thanks for reading.
CREDIT
column by NELSON KIRKLAND
Nelson Kirkland is publisher of Central Florida Ag News. He may be reached by e-mail at nelson@centralfloridamediagroup.com.