Lemons hold a special place in culinary culture. I like to cook a lot of seafood, and cooking it in lemon juice is for many things almost obligatory, at least so far as I’m concerned. But we also just take lemons for granted, and neverI’m Jason Ditz and I have 20 years of experience in foreign policy research. My work has appeared in Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times and the Detroit Free Press, as well as American Conservative Magazine and the Quincy Instit ...

VALENCIA, Calif., June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunkist Growers, Inc., a citrus marketing cooperative founded in 1893, announced today that Limoneira Company, one of its original founding members, will rejoin the organization effective November 1, 2025. The move marks a meaningful reunion and a bold step forward for both companies."This is more than a return—it's a powerful alignment of shared history, values, and vision," said Jim Phillips, President and CEO of Sunkist Growers. "Together, we're transformin ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For Q2 FY2025, total net revenue was $35.1 million, down from $44.6 million in Q2 FY2024, reflecting a decline in agribusiness revenue due to market oversupply and pricing pressure [14][15] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 FY2025 was a loss of $167,000 compared to a gain of $16.6 million in the same period last year [19] - Net loss applicable to common stock for Q2 FY2025 was $3.5 million, compared to net income of $6.4 million in Q2 FY2024 [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Agribusiness revenue for Q2 FY2025 was $33.6 million, down from $43.3 million in the same period last year, primarily due to lower fresh lemon sales [14][15] - Fresh packed lemon sales were $19.7 million in Q2 FY2025, compared to $25.8 million in Q2 FY2024, with an average price per carton dropping from $17.85 to $14.52 [15] - Avocado revenue increased to $2.8 million in Q2 FY2025 from $2.3 million in Q2 FY2024, with an average price per pound rising from $1.47 to $2.26 [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company expects relief from current market conditions in the second half of the year as it gains market share and benefits from seasonal pricing improvements [15] - The citrus sales and marketing plan with Sunkist is anticipated to enhance resilience to market volatility and improve cost structure [15][23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is merging its citrus sales and marketing operations with Sunkist Growers, which is expected to save approximately $5 million annually in selling and marketing expenses and improve EBITDA by the same amount [6][7] - The partnership with Sunkist aims to enhance operational capabilities and create a unified system to serve food service and retail customers more effectively [9][10] - The company remains committed to growing its citrus business and expanding avocado production while advancing real estate development and water monetization initiatives [12][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the operational enhancements and strategic initiatives that will contribute to sustainable long-term shareholder value [12][25] - The company anticipates fresh lemon volumes for FY2025 to be between 4.5 million to 5 million cartons, down from previous estimates, while avocado volumes are expected to remain stable [22][23] - Management highlighted the importance of the partnership with Sunkist in strengthening the citrus business model and improving operational foundations [23][24] Other Important Information - Total costs and expenses for Q2 FY2025 decreased by 22% to $38.5 million compared to $49.3 million in the same period last year [17] - Long-term debt as of April 30, 2025, was $54.9 million, up from $40 million at the end of FY2024 [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the Sunkist deal and its impact on revenue? - Management confirmed that the brokered fruit business will be phased out, but party cartons will continue to run through their facility [26][27] Question: What are the per box economics of the Sunkist partnership? - The partnership will transition to a fixed cost model for sales and marketing, reducing costs and improving margins due to streamlined operations [28][29] Question: How is the avocado harvest expected to perform this year? - Management indicated favorable weather conditions and a strategy to delay harvest for better fruit size and pricing [34][35] Question: Will there be an increase in avocado yield from recent plantings? - Early plantings are ahead of schedule, with expectations for increased yield by FY2026 [38]