Cold temps benefiting citrus crop, farmers say

The chilly temperatures that have swept across the Valley recently do not have local farmers worried — but excited.

Guy Wollenman, a local grower and Lindsay-based Monte Vista Ranches’ general manager, said the recent lows — which dipped to 33 degrees Friday, 31 degrees Saturday and 30 degrees Sunday in East Porterville, according to California Citrus Mutual’s website — will improve the interior and exterior quality of the fruit.

“We’ve seen a lot of winters,” Wollenman, 58, said. “This is setting up to be a vintage citrus year for eating quality.”

Wollenman, who farms more than a thousand acres of citrus from Porterville to Lemon Cove, said the colder temperatures will increase the brix — a measure of sugar concentration — in the fruit. That means consumers can expect juicier, sweeter-tasting citrus this season, Wollenman said.

“We need the colder weather to bring up the eating quality of some citrus,” he said.

He also said the chilly lows will strengthen the rind and delay the rind maturity, which will allow growers to ship their fruit more effectively.

“This is a classically good citrus December,” Wollenman said.

The line between success and disaster in the citrus world is very fine, though.

Wollenman said citrus trees and the fruit on them can handle temperatures such as the recent ones. However, if the temperature dips to 27 degrees or lower for several hours or more, fruit and tree damage become very-real possibilities.

That is why farmers have wind machines, which pull warmer air down from the inversion layer — a blanket of air above the ground — and warm the trees and fruit.

Sprinklers can also help combat cold temperatures by giving off humidity and warming up the air, Wollenman said.

“We’re glad to see frost conditions,” he said. “This is really good stuff we have going right now.”

Tonight’s low of 28 degrees is expected to be followed by lows of 29, 32 and 33 degrees Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, respectively, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.