Florida orange growers are trying to get people to drink orange juice again.
As the popularity of orange juice has declined, so have sales for all orange growers in the United States.
While Florida's citrus growers have resorted to cute commercials, educational programs and even a superhero called "Captain Citrus," orange juice is losing its place at America's breakfast tables.
Since most of the affected farmers are in Florida, the leading body of orange farmers in the state is considering how to proceed and where to turn for financial and marketing help.
The Florida Citrus Commission, working in tandem with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is looking to devise a marketing program that promotes drinking orange juice.
More and more people are foregoing the morning -- or anytime -- orange juice for a range of reasons.
Orange juice has been getting a bad rap, with one of the problems being sugar. The drink is jam-packed with sugar, and fruit juices have just as much sugar as a non-fruit-based sugary drink, reports indicate. Juice processors are looking at ways to cut the sugar.
While orange juice does contain vitamins, it is not recommended for reasons like too many carbohydrates, being bad for diabetics and having too much sugar.
One report indicates an 8-ounce glass of Tropicana Pure Premium contains only four grams of sugar less than Coke at 22 grams, reports Highlands Today.
Juice may be labelled as pure and not from concentrate, but the processing and storage of juice takes away oxygen, flavor and some of the vitamin power.
Now, Florida orange growers, concerned with the negative press and falling sales, have convened to discuss federal assistance options to promote juice, reports The Ledger of Lakeland, Fla.
Oranges are Florida's lead citrus crop, and about 95 percent of them are used for juice. Of the juice consumed in the U.S., The Sunshine State's juice processors supply almost 80 percent.
But sales continue to drop. Sales of 100 percent orange juice during the 2014-15 season fell 8.7 percent compared to the 2013-14 same period, according to a Florida Department of Citrus sales analysis and reported by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
High prices and encroaching competition from other beverages are also contributing factors to the demise of orange juice. Sales of coconut water, coffee, tea and even pomegranate juice have steadily been edging out the former breakfast table favorite.
"Captain Citrus" has been used to win over young drinkers -- those in elementary schools -- but they are not the household decision-makers.
