Although the post-pandemic recovery continued throughout 2024, our fun and cheeky brand spurred the demand for quality Australian citrus.
Our growers had fruit bursting with some of the finest quality in years—so juicy it was almost supernatural—consumers couldn’t resist the call of our citrus range. At the heart of this fruity phenomenon was our headline act, the one and only… Dracula Blood Orange. We’ve seen demand for these oranges continue to grow year-on-year. This product combined with our Dracula-themed marketing leads the way for our brand. We continue to promote citrus as the mystical fruit that it is, leaving customers spellbound— resistance is futile when it comes to our citrus.
2024 Harvest
Fruit sizing was up, volumes were comparable to most seasons across most fruit types, the fruit was mostly firm and both external & internal quality was high. Large fruit suits the North American market. The 2024 harvest produced prime fruit that was high-grade export quality perfect for The US market.
Australian Citrus Exports to the USA
In 2024, a total of 5,156 tonnes of oranges were exported to the USA, with Dracula Citrus™ accounting for an impressive 3,740 tonnes across navels, Cara Caras, and blood oranges—a dominant 72.54% of the total market. Meanwhile, our mandarin exports secured a strong 44% market share, further cementing Dracula Citrus™ as a leading force in premium Australian citrus.
Our Mega Mandys continue to gain popularity around the world
We noticed a shift in demand towards Dracula Citrus™ due to trust in our consistency of quality, supply & service. We even had to navigate the East Coast United States Port Strike & Panana Canal delays. The strike was in late September of 2024 and caused delays of up to 4 weeks disrupting some of our retail programs.. We weathered the storm and by the end of the strike, we had secured new programs with key retailers Publix and Kroger.
Our Mega Mandy’s had the biggest percentage growth for us in 2024, although volumes of these large Dekopons are limited. Lemon and Tangelo demand has decreased due to the larger volumes grown in Mexico & Peru respectively.
Getting Creative with Citrus
Over the years we have continued to provide more education and engagement through social media, industry forums, retail display contests and taste tests. These have all been great ways to showcase our ‘Wickedly Healthy’ brand educating consumers about the health benefits and the delicious possibilities of our citrus.
Our 2024 back-to-school & Halloween competitions went off with a bang. This competition gives our stockists in the US an opportunity to let their merchandising loose and unleash their creativity. We had over 150 entries from stores all over the Country with winners determined by the most creative and fun display of the Dracula Citrus™ brand. Back to school & Halloween are major calendar events that fit perfectly within our Dracula brand. The results saw fun, spooky, and often interactive displays throughout America. We’ve had such great feedback from both customers and retailers making the event a successful seasonal branding initiative.
Our retailer point of sale competition spanned 150 stores across the USA
What’s hiding around the corner in 2025?
Strong Partnerships with key retailers in the USA and Canada has us in a strong position in the market for 2025. The more retailers we partner with gives our growers confidence and security that they’re in good hands with Dracula Citrus™
From 2023 to 2024 we increased our export volume by a whopping 90% and we expect that trend to continue into 2025. The USA and Canada also to continue to be a priority market of growth for Dracula Citrus™
Squeezing some Wickedly Healthy blood orange juice and mixing cocktails at the 2024 Global Produce & Floral Show in Atlanta
We’re consistently seeing global customers request the high quality and flavour standards of Australian citrus and going beyond their routine shopping lists to explore the spooky characters of our Dracula range. We’ll keep inspiring new ways of cooking and demonstrating how to incorporate citrus into meals via our online channels, in-store and at industry events.
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Dracula Citrus™ is a Pinnacle Fresh brand.
To enquire about stocking Dracula Citrus™ please get in touch with our team by emailing info@draculacitrus.com.au
