Riverland Citrus Stories I Helen Aggelettos – The Venus Citrus Story: Sydney Fish shop to Riverland Fruit Block

About this episode

Helen Aggelettos shares the journey of Venus Citrus from its establishment to becoming a recognized brand in the citrus industry.

In this episode of Riverland Citrus Stories , we hear from Helen Aggelettos, Managing Director and Marketing Manager of Venus Citrus at Loxton. Helen shares the story of how her father established the business after moving from Sydney to the Riverland, starting with a small citrus property and selling fruit directly into the Melbourne market. Helen reflects on stepping into the business in 1989 under difficult circumstances, following her father’s illness and the closure of the operation. With no formal background in citrus, she rebuilt the business alongside her husband, navigating a male-dominated industry and gradually earning respect in both grower and market networks. The episode explores the growth of Venus Citrus into a well-recognised brand, Helen’s focus on quality and market positioning, and how the business has adapted through drought, market shifts and changing consumer behaviour. It also highlights the importance of family, growers and long-term thinking in building a sustainable citrus business. This special series is hosted on The Citrus Segment , the Citrus SA podcast, and has been made possible through funding from the Rex Andrew Trust, administered by the SA…

People in this episode

Host: The Citrus Segment

Guest: Helen Aggelettos

Topics covered

• citrus industry
• business growth
• family business
• market adaptation
• female leadership

Keywords

• citrus
• business story
• family
• market positioning
• sustainability
• female leadership
• Riverland

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Venus Citrus, Citrus SA, Rex Andrew Trust, SA Citrus Improvement Society

Places: Sydney, Riverland, Melbourne

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