Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) Executive Director Ray Royce recently provided an update on the area’s current grove conditions and freeze recovery as well as the association’s status and priorities.
GROVE CONDITIONS
“For most groves in Highlands County, it is very clear now whether they are under active management and engaged in advanced production practices,” Royce said. “Those that are look pretty good as we go into the summer despite the extended drought conditions. I believe some steady rainfall will really make some trees further pop.
“Next season’s fruit crop seems to be pretty good. Sizing up is already taking place in many blocks. Most growers are resetting and utilizing IPCs (individual protective covers), which lead to rapid growth and increased young tree size.”
FREEZE RECOVERY
Royce said most groves under active management seem to have fared better following winter weather events than many growers expected.
He reported fruit and small twig damage in some locations. Some growers lost or had significant damage to young trees or resets, he added.
“However, the groves that I have visited over the past month or so seem to have recovered very nicely to a large degree,” Royce said.
ASSOCIATION STATUS
HCCGA is Florida’s only regional citrus association still in operation. In recent years, the Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association, Gulf Citrus Growers Association and, most recently, the Indian River Citrus League have all closed their doors.
“The good news is that the HCCGA’s future looks very bright,” Royce reports. He said membership investment has stayed strong through the industry’s downsizing, and the association is in a strong financial position.
“We have always operated with a slightly different revenue generation model than I believe the other regionals did, kept our mission focused and provided our membership value for their investment,” Royce said. “We are in it for the long haul of the industry’s recovery.”
CURRENT PRIORITIES
According to Royce, HCCGA will be proactively involved in several upcoming industry educational and fellowship events. He added that the association will help provide understanding of opportunities through the next cycle of Citrus Research and Field Trial programs.
In addition, HCCGA will be engaged with the Highlands County Commission on issues “that could impact services to, or costs associated with, agricultural properties,” he said.
“HCCGA has always been very locally focused,” Royce noted. “Our mission is to ensure that our grower members not only can engage in their agricultural pursuits with as little governmental interference as possible, but also to protect their longer-term property rights and values to the greatest extent possible.
“In that vein, we continue to work with our property appraiser on ad-valorem land values and our county commissioners and their staff on long-term land-use considerations. We will be very involved in the upcoming Highlands County Comprehensive Plan review and revision to ensure that not only are agricultural activities protected, but that there are not onerous restrictions on ag lands if the owner wants to pursue other potential uses.”
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