Dundee Citrus Growers Association Celebrates 100 Years

Dundee Citrus Growers Association has struggled with the same major setbacks as the rest of Florida’s citrus industry, including multiple freezes in the 1980s and HLB in this century. But Dundee, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, has not only survived but has become the state’s largest citrus cooperative.

A recent video recounts the association’s history, focusing on the growth, resilience and innovation it has employed to survive in the face of adversity. 

Dundee Citrus Growers Association was formed in 1924 by citrus growers “who decided they could do together what they couldn’t do individually,” the video reports. They pooled their resources to buy their first packinghouse for $30,000. In 1930, the association built a new packinghouse, which is still in use.

The multiple freezes of the 1980s drastically reduced citrus acreage and production in Florida’s northern and central citrus regions and tested the industry’s resolve. Dundee responded by adding growers and geographically diversifying its crop. That diversification ensured that not all crops were affected by freezes or hurricanes at the same time. The organization also formed its own sales and marketing association.

Partnerships with Winter Haven Citrus Growers Association, Lake Wales Citrus Growers Association and Lake Region Packing from the late 1990s to 2004 made Dundee Florida’s largest fresh citrus cooperative.

As bad as the 1980s freezes were, they were no comparison to the devastation that HLB wreaked on the Florida citrus industry beginning in 2005. Production and acreage have plummeted since then.

In response to HLB, Dundee created an incentive program to encourage its growers to plant new trees. The association also diversified by expanding its harvesting, packaging and marketing programs to include peaches and blueberries.

The video reports that 2017 marked “a revolution in citrus cultivation.” That’s when Dundee embraced citrus under protective screen (CUPS), which the association describes as “a gamechanger.” CUPS, which keeps HLB-spreading psyllids off of trees, gives growers better control over the elements, pests and other variables, and drastically improves fruit consistency and quality.

In 2022, Dundee announced plans to double its CUPS acreage in Polk County to almost 1,000 acres. 

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