Posted on 03/29/2020 6:06:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Orange juice is suddenly hot.
In the commodity markets, frozen concentrate orange juice futures have soared 25% — just in the past month. (Yes, you're thinking of the comedy Trading Places.)
"People understand that orange juice is a great source of vitamin C and clearly vitamin C boosts your immune system," said Andrew Meadows, director of communications at Florida Citrus Mutual, a growers' trade group. "We're now in a time where people want to have a strong immune system. I think that's what's happening."
That's even though there's no evidence that vitamin C is effective against the coronavirus. But industry officials say that people looking to increase their vitamin C intake have been boosting OJ sales.
Sales jumped nearly 10% in the four weeks that ended March 14 compared with a year earlier, according to Nielsen data provided by the Florida Department of Citrus. Frozen OJ sales soared 27%. That's a big turnaround from the prior report for February, which showed overall OJ sales down 2% and frozen juice down 1.3%.
And demand is outpacing the supply, said Marisa Zansler, director of economic and market research at the Florida Department of Citrus.
"The unforeseen and significant increase in the demand for orange juice exceeded the current supply of orange juice on the U.S. market in recent weeks," Zansler said in an email. "The rise in the futures price is certainly indicative of the higher cost to supply the sudden spike in demand."
Meadows emphasized that the industry has not been marketing around the coronavirus.
"We're not trying to capitalize on this," he said. "We wouldn't do that. ... But it is beneficial to us, it is heartening to us that people still understand that orange juice is a great source of vitamin C."
The good news for growers comes at a challenging time for the citrus industry. Florida growers have been battling citrus greening, canker and other plant diseases for years. And orange juice has been squeezed by competition from sports and energy drinks, bottled water and exotic juice blends, Meadows said.
Get 1000 mg tablets they work great.
And there still is no substitute for fresh squeezed OJ.
Oh yes please keep the NPR articles coming absolutely the best source to read during all of this.
I have a 12oz glass of OJ every morning with breakfast.
That’s why we were reluctant to post about it.
Lowes Foods has fresh squeezed and you are right. Nothing like it.
You paid for it. You may as well read it. It’s not like this had some kind of political angle.
I drink our Simply Orange juice everyday its very tasty
Vitamin C wiped out at the local Walmart! It’s the next toilet paper.
I don’t usually take anything but I bought a months supply of Emergen C the other day at the grocery store. 1000 my of vitamin C. Just dump packet in water and drink.
I got a bottle of 500 tablets from Wegman’s this week.
Excellent that will do!
Green peppers are also a great source of Vitamin C.
I used to drink that, but it’s too pricey for me. Now I get the store brand in a gallon container(from concentrate) for $3.99
Looks like I’m sitting on a gold mine. Picked up a years supply of 1000 mg from Costco about a month ago.
FCOJ and not a single comment on Trading Places?
Got it from ralphs for 3.99..my Mom likes it since its Non GMO
“ no evidence that vitamin C is effective against cvd”
This is NPR?
Disinfo
Whatever planet they are on...stay there!
More Vit C for the rest of us,
Lemonade is a good source too.
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