Michael Sparks
Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks discusses the association’s annual conference this week, including the election of a new association president, the U.S. presidential race from a tariff perspective, and postbloom fruit drop (PFD).
During the conference, Mutual’s trade attorney reported on presidential candidates’ views regarding tariffs, which can impact citrus trade. Sparks comments on that report: “When you hear presidential candidates talk about increasing tariffs and the possible retaliation on tariffs, that’s more than interesting and a cause of concern. We ship our products – Florida orange juice as well as our fresh fruit – to international markets. So it’s something we’re going to have to keep an eye on as we move forward during the presidential campaign.”
Regarding PFD, Sparks says, “As we talk to growers and do more of a review around the state, we got hit, but maybe not as severely as we originally thought.”
Share this Post
About the Author
