The U.S. Department of Agriculture has adopted a rule that will reduce the size and grade requirements for grapefruit and oranges that are grown in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. These rules are in response to market demand and maximize shipments of fresh fruit. The new rule changed the size requirement for grapefruit from 3-5/16 inches to 3 inches in diameter and oranges from 2-6/16 inches to 2-3/16 inches in diameter, lowering grade requirements for smaller fruit. Consumers are now showing a preference for smaller-sized fruit, and believe relaxing the requirements makes more fruit available to fill the market shortfall and provides smaller-sized fruit to meet consumer demand. Grapefruit that doesn't meet the size requirement goes to juice giving the grower less of a profit, returns are better for fresh fruit. In 2013 the Rio Grande Valley of Texas produced 5.3 million cartons of grapefruit and 1.7 million cartons of oranges. - Millet
Topic: Not everything Is Bigger In Texas (Read 1472 times)