A Florida Senate committee on March 26 proposed $200 million for Florida’s citrus industry in 2025–26.
The citrus funding is a priority of citrus grower and Senate President Ben Albritton, who declared, “Mark my words, Florida citrus is not going down on my watch.”
The proposal came from the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government.
“To those growers who are left in the business, hear me when I say, you are not forgotten, you are not alone, and the Florida Senate is running to this fight,” Albritton said. “Research and new technologies offer a renewed hope for the future of citrus. Florida citrus is making a comeback, one tree at a time.”
The lion’s share of the proposed budget is $190 million for large-scale field trials that demonstrate the impact of utilizing a combination of grove management, therapeutic tools and disease-resistant varieties for new plantings and the rehabilitation of existing trees. At least $125 million of the $190 million would be made available for costs directly associated with the acquisition of trees. Initially, 60% of the funds will be made available to growers who have citrus groves of at least 5 acres but less than 2,500 acres. After the initial solicitation period, remaining funds will be available to all growers.
The proposal stipulates that the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, which allocates funds for research, must hold quarterly meetings at locations that best represent all geographic regions of the state with an emphasis on citrus production.
The budget includes $10 million for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to provide 80% cost-share funding to citrus packinghouses for equipment refurbishment, adoption of new technology or purchasing new equipment.
See a full media release announcing the budget proposal here.
Source: The Florida Senate
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