The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in October approved a 2024–25 operating budget for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and heard about marketing programs the budget will fund. The FCC also approved citrus varieties to be included in the 2024 Program for Expedited Propagation.
BUDGET AND ASSESSMENT RATES
The FCC approved a $21.75 million operating budget for the FDOC. It includes a reserve equivalent to one-third of the season’s crop, to offset potential crop reductions for the remainder of the season. Much of the FDOC budget is funded by an assessment on each box of Florida fruit that is sold. The assessment is based on the initial October citrus crop forecast. That forecast was based on surveys prior to Hurricane Milton and thus reflected no fruit loss from the hurricane.
The budget approved in October was higher than June’s approved preliminary budget of $21.27 million.
The FCC also approved FDOC-recommended grower assessment rates for 2024–25 that will remain the same as last season. Those rates are 12 cents per box for processed oranges, 5 cents per box for fresh oranges and 7 cents per box for grapefruit and specialty fruit.
MARKETING PROGRAM
The FDOC and its marketing agency, Padilla, told the FCC that the 2024–25 marketing program will begin rolling out in mid- to late-November and most prominently in late January. They said the marketing plans were built and executed in close collaboration with those exporting to international markets to ensure promotions are occurring where Florida fruit is being distributed.
VARIETIES APPROVED
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials introduced the citrus varieties that will be included in this year’s Accelerated Budwood Initiative. They are the Lennon Early R20-T30 Parson Brown, Lennon Early R21-T 36 Hamlin, Hamlin N14-10, UF OLL-DC-3-36 and UF OLL-DC-3-40. The FCC approved those varieties to be included in the 2024 Program for Expedited Propagation (PEP).
“These varieties show promise, with three of them displaying an HLB-tolerance that is good or very good, FCC Chairman Steve Johnson said. “The proposed PEP 2024 plan outlined that the delivery of materials to nurseries would be approximately April to June 2025.”
Source: FDOC
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