New orange juice facility in Port of Tampa
Tampa Port Authority commissioners on Tuesday approved an option to a lease agreement with Cutrale Citrus Juices USA Inc., which is planning to develop a new orange juice storage and distribution facility at the port.
Cutrale, a subsidiary of a Brazil’s Sucocitrico Cutrale Ltd., is the world’s largest grower and processor of oranges. It has processing plants in Auburndale and Leesburg, Fla., and operates juice storage and distribution facilities at the ports of New York-New Jersey and Rotterdam.
Cutrale's new Tampa facility will focus on exports of not-from-concentrate juice using terminal facilities at the port's Berth 205.
“This investment will further strengthen the Port of Tampa's role as an important hub for juice and citrus products, underscoring the importance of this industry in Central Florida and the port's close proximity to the major juice processors, as well as related industries such as the essential oils and citrus pellets feed sectors,” the port said.
Richard Wainio, port director and chief executive, added that 'juice and citrus industries have been an important component of our cargo mix for many years, including bulk, general cargo and containers, and this new capacity will strengthen our position for continued growth.”