By Robin Loftin and Frank Giles
When HLB was first confirmed in Florida in October 2005, it was difficult to imagine the path the disease would take the state’s citrus industry down. In some ways, it has been a testament to the resolve and ingenuity of growers who have kept trees alive and continued planting, despite some early prognostications that the industry would cease to exist in only a matter of years.
But it’s been a long haul, and the search for solutions to HLB has been elusive at best. There was a new sense of optimism breathed into the industry when trunk-injection therapies were introduced a couple of years ago. Trees seem to be responding, but it is going to take time to turn around a two-decade decline.
Hurricanes have been supremely frustrating, putting speed bumps along the road to recovery. Irma, Ian and Milton have left their ugly marks.
Over the past few years, citrus growers have had to make business decisions going forward in this challenging environment. Some have had to scale back operations while others have exited the business. This is the reality of HLB cutting Florida production by 90%.
Here at AgNet Media, we also are faced with a business decision that we want to share with you this month. Obviously, the industry is not as robust as it was before HLB. That has led us as a company to consolidate some of our offerings as we look for ways to continue to best serve citrus growers and allied industry.
These discussions within our company have resulted in the decision to merge Citrus Industry magazine with our Specialty Crop Grower magazine. So, what will that look like? In every issue of Specialty Crop Grower, there will be a section dedicated to Citrus Industry. We will continue to feature citrus growers, provide updates on research and bring along popular features like Peter Chaires’ Citrus Nursery Source and Brenda Eubanks Burnette’s Pieces of the Past. We also will continue to present our distinguished Citrus Achievement Award. In 2025, we will honor the 25th award recipient.
On the digital side, we will continue to provide daily news at CitrusIndustry.net. We will continue to deliver Citrus Industry This Week e-news. And we will continue to provide premier events like the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo and Florida Citrus Show.
What does all this mean for you? First, you will not need to do anything in terms of subscriptions. You will begin receiving Citrus Industry content within Specialty Crop Grower magazine starting with the January issue. That content will be aimed at helping the Florida citrus industry to rebuild and prosper.
We often hear people say the Florida citrus industry will look different than before, but it will prevail over HLB. Here at AgNet Media, the Citrus Industry brand will look a little different in the coming year, but what will remain the same is our commitment to citrus and our belief in its future.
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