Editorial Cartoon
The
Cranberry Juice Pyramid
Ocean Spray launches chilled juice line through Nantucket Nectars
4/11/01
According to the Nantucket Nectars web
site, this "subsidiary" (see web site page here
for explanation of ownership) of Ocean Spray is introducing a
line of refrigerated 64 oz. cartons this month in the New
England area. Three of the four flavors, orange - mango,
squeezed lemonade and squeezed half and half are the same
as the single serve product. The cranberry is not the same
as its single serve counter-part. It was renamed
"authentic cranberry" and uses cranberry puree
"for a thicker, fresher taste." The cranberry
product is said to have particles and a cloudy coloration.
The image on
the web site features a carton of the authentic cranberry
fully visible in the foreground, with the other three
juices partially obscured in the background.
The new
Nantucket Nectars line will compete for supermarket cooler
space, and customers, with Tropicana, Minute Maid and
Dole. Ocean Spray does not currently market a refrigerated
64 oz. carton cranberry juice product under its own brand
name. Shelf life is
70 days. Coupons are due to be circulated in May. With
images
Press Releases
4/10/01 Grape
Seed Extract Positioned as Next Powerful Antioxidant
to Grow Nutraceutical Category
4/10/01 Washington
State Department of Agriculture Hearing Notice
Hearings Slated for Enhanced Chemigation and
Fertigation Standards
4/6/01
- SOURCE: Graham
Packaging Company, L.P. Ocean
Spray Goes National With `Flagship' PET Grip Bottle
Developed With Graham Packaging
4/5/01 Cliffstar appoints
Bailen as Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology
"Does America
want to keep agriculture?"
Ag attorney speaks
out
4/4/01 Gary Baise is
representing several Massachusetts cranberry growers, including Charles
Johnson, of Carver, in their efforts to defeat the Cranberry Marketing
Order for 2001. He also represents Johnson Cranberries in actions
involving the EPA. There is an interview of Baise in this month's print
edition of Progressive
Farmer entitled "Does America want to keep agriculture."
In it he addresses the impact that environmental groups and certain
grant-writing foundations are having on the practice of agriculture. He
contends that many environmental groups overstate their case: "They
create such a straw man that they take advantage of their position in
society to needlessly scare people." Read
article. |
4/12/01
Putting aside the internal workings of Ocean Spray and Nantucket
Nectars, as far as the cranberry industry is concerned, the introduction
of a new product which will have a high cranberry content in the
important cooler section of the supermarket is good news as long
as consumers buy more cranberry juice overall. (The exact content of
cranberry in the new Nantucket Nectars juice is unknown, but entire
juice content is listed as only 15%, see ingredients.)
Putting a cranberry juice
that is formulated to have a texture and palate sensation more like
orange juice right next to the refrigerated orange juices could very
well lure some O.J. consumers into buying cranberry juice as well. Even
if 10% of all regular orange juice drinkers picked up a 64 oz. carton of
cranberry juice occasionally, the numbers would probably be significant.
If it will sell more juice, this is a rationale for using the Ocean Spray logo, if
not the brand itself.
The so-far unheralded
introduction of a radically new cranberry juice, even in a test market, under the Nantucket
Nectar's label raises some interesting questions about Ocean Spray. CONTINUED
* Press
release:
Administration proposes elimination of
conservation programs
for agriculture
4/11/01 (American Farmland Trust -
Released April 9, 2001
Washington, DC) Farmers and ranchers nationwide got a nasty shock
in today's release of the federal budget for 2002: The Bush
administration proposes to drastically cut funding for agriculture
conservation and farmland protection efforts. Programs to be zeroed out
include those that offer farmers incentives to protect water supplies,
create wildlife habitat on farmland, and permanently protect their
farmland from sprawling development. CONTINUED
*
Press releases, like OpEds, do not necessarily reflect
Stressline editorial opinion.
In the
news:
4/10/01 Florida
Orange Growers Having Worst Economic Year Since 1970s
- A.P.
4/9/01 Pinelands: Commissioner
Steven V. Lee III of Tabernacle said those farmers now
have much more of a financial incentive to participate in
the farmland preservation program. "Now we have a
program that comes close to giving fair value for the
price of these farms in the Pinelands," he said. Article
4/8/01 New Jersey: Bound
for China
4/7/01 Boston.com: Even the
industry that gave the town its nickname — Cranberry
Capital of the World — is undergoing changes as
overproduction slices demand. "We
have listed some growers' properties for sale,"
(realtor Debbie) Blais said. "Prior to this downturn
in the market, most didn't want to sell any land around
them. They wanted a buffer for pesticides and to protect
the bogs. Now Makepeace has sold off a lot of lots, and
we've done some for minor growers. "I think the
cranberry industry can find a way to bring it
around," she added. "I can't believe it's going
to go out." Middleboro
town profile
4/6/01
Layoffs at Ocean Spray Bordentown plant, Burlington County
News. "The
company sales' volume overall for many products is doing
fine... As a whole, things are fine. (But for) some of the
products we manufacture here, those volumes are off."
Dave Granholm, human resources manager at the plant.
4/6/01 Canadians
frustrated with Bush admin. trade policies, A.P.
4/5/01 Veneman
names undersecretary for research, education, economics
4/4/01 Cool-off
over, US, Canada rekindle battle over exports, Boston
Globe
4/4/01 Moseley,
Hawks named to USDA posts, AgLaw
4/3/01 Amid
Doubts, W.T.O. Plans Agriculture Talks, NY Times
4/2/01 Makepeace
development news
3/31/01 Cranberry growers
surveyed on market orders in Wisc.
Rapids Daily Tribune |