Sunkist arrives in Vietnam to deliver fresh and delicious U.S.-grown oranges

Sunkist Growers returns to the market and grows its footprint through a network of trusted retailers

January 14, 2020, Valencia, Calif. — Sunkist Growers, the world’s most recognized citrus brand, is bringing its beloved Navel oranges from the citrus groves of California for consumers in Vietnam to enjoy. Founded in 1893, Sunkist is an agricultural cooperative that has been dedicated to growing and offering quality citrus to customers worldwide for the past 126 years.

“We are very excited to bring our fresh and juicy Navel oranges to Vietnam,” said Jim Phillips, President, and CEO of Sunkist Growers, USA. “Our family of farmers takes pride in growing premium Sunkist citrus, and it’s an honor to share the fruits of our labor with consumers in Vietnam.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the import of U.S. fresh fruits, before oranges, reached $97 million in the first 10 months of 2019—a 46 percent year-over-year growth, making Vietnam the ninth-largest fresh fruit market worldwide for the United States. Hence, the entry of oranges is expected to potentially contribute to the further and steady growth of the value of U.S imports into the market. Concurrently, the U.S. is also the second-largest country export market for fruit into Vietnam.

“Sunkist’s entry to Vietnam is very timely as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship—one major aspect of which is agricultural trade between the two countries,” said Benjamin Petlock, Senior Agricultural Attaché of the USDA. “Sunkist Growers, among many other brands, have worked diligently for years with our government partners in Vietnam to bring in high quality, healthy, and safe fresh U.S. oranges into the market, and finally gaining market entry is a huge accomplishment.”

Easily distinguishable by their small, navel-like formation on their blossom end, Navel oranges peel easily to reveal a bright orange, seedless interior.

Available from October through June, U.S.-grown Navel oranges are also refreshingly sweet and juicy with a pleasant floral aroma and are rich in Vitamin C and dietary fibers, providing consumers with a dose of calcium, folate, and other nutrients.

The journey of each Sunkist Navel orange begins in the groves of sunny California where each piece of fruit is held to the highest standards — from being hand-picked with utmost care to going through meticulous inspection for quality and consistency, ensuring that each fruit complies with the strictest regulations for food safety, packaging, and labeling.

In its mission to bring high-quality Navel oranges to all consumers in Vietnam, Sunkist is building strong relationships with the country’s top fruit distributors and retailers.  In Ho Chi Minh City on January 11, Sunkist offered a special thanks to sponsor Biovegi, a trusted fruit distributor in Vietnam, for their support at the consumer launch event.

For trade and distribution inquiries, interested retailers may get in touch with the Sunkist Sales Team ([email protected]) and a dedicated Sunkist representative will reach out to provide information on the necessary requirements to distribute its Navel oranges in the market.

To know more about the Sunkist story, heritage, and commitment to quality and innovation, visit www.sunkist.com. Additionally, consumers can visit Sunkist.com/recipes for recipe inspiration just in time for the arrival of Sunkist’s California-grown Navel oranges to their favorite fruit retailers.

 

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Sunkist Growers is a citrus cooperative, founded in 1893, which is owned by and operated for thousands of family farmers growing citrus in California and Arizona. For more information, visit www.sunkist.com.

Sunkist is a registered trademark of Sunkist Growers, Inc. USA © 2020