The 2026 Citrus Achievement Award winner Ned Hancock believes what makes Florida’s citrus industry special is its people. He said the grit and determination of growers have helped the industry weather the storm of HLB, and he’s cautiously optimistic about the future.
“There is no question that citrus is a lifestyle and one big family,” Hancock said. “The people make it really great. And it is not just the growers; it also is other people in the industry like our association folks and all the sales reps who help us with the products and equipment we need to grow the crop.”
The determined family of citrus growers now have a few tools that he believes can be important in helping the industry turn the corner on HLB. Among those is the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation, which is supporting new plantings and therapies aimed at improving existing groves. Among those therapies is trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC), which is improving yields and quality. This season’s final citrus crop estimate ended with a crop increase for the first time in years, which reflects the positive trend.
“Through CRAFT, we’ve been able to put millions of trees in the ground,” Hancock said. “I know HLB has been challenging, but everybody knows Florida grows the best oranges in the world. We’ve gotten away from that because we don’t have inventory. But I truly think if we can get back that inventory, people will differentiate our oranges from everybody else’s.”
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