The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently announced that the Florida Legislature allocated an historic amount of funding to citrus research in the 2025–26 state budget. CRAFT is expected to receive $104.5 million of the allocated funding to continue applied research through large-scale field trials.
The CRAFT Foundation is designing new programs with this investment. Information about the upcoming program timelines and rules will be released soon. Interested parties may email Executive Director Steven Hall at Steven@craftfdn.org to be added to the email distribution list to receive the latest program information.
SHARING THE RESULTS
Analysis of grower-submitted Existing Tree Therapy program data is underway. The early results are encouraging, especially considering the damage inflicted by two hurricanes on the industry last year.
The data from the 2025–26 harvest (the third year following initial treatment for most program trees) will be crucial for providing a complete picture. When completed, the results will be presented on a publicly accessible dashboard. This data analysis will be expanding to include the CRAFT new tree planting programs as the trees from early cycles mature to harvesting age and more data is submitted for those cycles.
VERIFICATION AND SAMPLING VISITS
Each year, program participants are visited by CRAFT representatives who conduct a site verification to confirm the progress of each project. These visits are currently underway, and CRAFT is highly encouraged by the vibrant appearance of many of the projects.
Many of the new citrus tree varieties, including the Donaldson from 2024 (Cycle 5), are being planted. CRAFT stated that it is enthusiastic about their potential and looks forward to monitoring their progress.
CRAFT has also partnered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Fruit and Vegetables to conduct sampling visits to CRAFT projects this summer. The purpose of these visits is to collect leaf and soil samples for laboratory analysis. The results of this analysis will be incorporated into the ongoing data analysis and will be made available to participating growers.
CONTACT CRAFT
Growers with any questions or seeking additional information about the CRAFT program are encouraged to contact Executive Director Steven Hall at Steven@craftfdn.org or 863-333-2931, Assistant Program Manager Tina Buice at Tina@craftfdn.org or Scientific Coordinator Carisa Keller at Carisa@craftfdn.org.
Source: Florida Citrus Mutual
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