Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) Chairman Steve Johnson recently wrote about Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and state legislative efforts to help rejuvenate the Florida citrus industry. Johnson described the efforts in a column titled “The Four Rs of Florida Citrus Right Now: Reset. Replant. Renew. Renaissance.” FDOC INITIATIVES Johnson listed the following efforts by the FDOC: WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATURE …
Governor Names Florida Citrus Commissioners
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently appointed five new members to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) and reappointed five members. The new appointees are Emma Ezell, Sean Frielich, Vernon Hollingsworth III, Daniel Hunt and Melanie Ressler. Steve Johnson, Carlos Martinez, William Poulton, Daniel Sutton and John “Patrick” Schirard were reappointed. The FCC is the governing board of the Florida Department of …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Programs Benefit Nurseries
By Peter Chaires The 2024–25 citrus season is another challenging one for Florida’s valued citrus nurseries. Uncertainty has been the consummate challenge for nurseries trying to anticipate grower needs. One large nursery grower recently interviewed believes that door-yard propagations are now nearing commercial propagations. Who would have ever thought we would see this happen? However, after a dismal 2022–23 propagation …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: New Varieties Released
By Peter Chaires On October 24, 2024, the University of Florida’s (UF) Cultivar Release Committee unanimously approved the release of seven citrus varieties to Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. Florida Statutes now require that, before being released to the general public, any new variety of citrus developed as a result of any research or study accomplished using any percentage of …
Florida Citrus Commission Actions and HLB
Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) Chairman Steve Johnson recently discussed HLB and several actions and reports from the commission’s December 2024 meeting. The FCC is the governing board of the Florida Department of Citrus. “For almost two decades, we’ve been in a season of fighting HLB, and that fight (while the war is far from over) is changing,” Johnson said. “The tools …
Marketing Orange Juice as a Functional Beverage
U.S. consumers have felt the sting of inflation, but that hasn’t kept them from drinking more beverages year after year, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) recently reported. Tina Charpentier of Padilla, the Florida Department of Citrus’ (FDOC) marketing and issues management agency, told the FCC that consumers have endured a 30% increase in food prices since 2019. During that same …
PIECES OF THE PAST: On a Sweet Note
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Christmas is normally the brightest spot at the end of what can be a very long year for many of us. It signals not only the end of the year, but the beginning promises of a hopeful new year ahead. One bright spot this year was the 100-year celebration of when the first Florida Citrus Queen …
Juice Maturity Standards Eased; Varieties Approved for Licensing
Update as of 12-2-24: For the period beginning 12:00 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2024, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on May 23, 2025, maturity standards in regard to ratio are suspended for all grapefruit including field run and eliminations. This emergency rule supersedes Emergency Rule 20ER24-4. At the request of Florida processor and grower associations, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) …
Florida Citrus Outlook for the 2024–25 Season
The expected utilization of Florida’s 2024–25 citrus crop was the focus of economist Marisa Zansler’s Florida Citrus Outlook presentation to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in October. Zansler is director of economic and market research for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). Before discussing expected utilization by varieties, Zansler pointed out that her outlook was based on the U.S. Department …
Citrus Commission Approves Budget and Other Actions
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in October approved a 2024–25 operating budget for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and heard about marketing programs the budget will fund. The FCC also approved citrus varieties to be included in the 2024 Program for Expedited Propagation. BUDGET AND ASSESSMENT RATES The FCC approved a $21.75 million operating budget for the FDOC. It …
Study Shows Value of FDOC Orange Juice Promotions
A 2024 University of Florida (UF) study showed that demand for orange juice (OJ) would have declined by 8% without the awareness of Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) promotional activities. The study estimated consumption would have decreased by an additional 75.7 million single-strength equivalent gallons — equal to roughly 13.7 million boxes of Florida processed oranges — without FDOC promotions. …
‘OG’ to Promote Florida OJ
A new Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) ad campaign is likely to use the term “OG” extensively, according to new FDOC marketing agency Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc. So, what does “OG” mean? Michelle Amoroso of Padilla explained that an OG is someone who is an original or originator, highly regarded and respected. She added that OGs are the paradigm; they …
Sustaining Citrus in the Face of Rising Food Prices
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Consumer Orange Juice Tracker shows that consumers are increasingly reporting changes in their food shopping behaviors in response to rising food prices. From 2018 to 2024, the percentage of consumers who reported no change in their shopping behaviors has consistently decreased, dropping from 21% in 2018 to an estimated 18% in 2024. In contrast, …
Worldwide Orange and OJ Production Declining
Continuing low orange production in Florida has left Florida processors relying significantly on imports to meet the ongoing demand for orange juice (OJ), the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) was told in June. Economist Marisa Zansler told the FCC that world juice availability is expected to decrease in the 2024–25 season, influenced by the decline in Brazilian production and reduced inventory …
FDOC Gets New Agency and Discusses Budget
It’s now official that the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) will have a new agency for consumer marketing, media relations and issues management starting July 1. The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), the FDOC’s governing board, approved contracts with Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc. on May 9. The new contracts are for two years with three optional one-year renewals. Padilla Speer Beardsley, …
Citrus Juice Sales Continue to Decline
At its May 9 meeting, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) learned how much retail sales of citrus juice continue to decline. Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler reported on the period ending April 20. Orange juice (OJ) sales were down by 11.6%, and grapefruit juice sales were down by 9%. For the fourth …
Destination Dupes, Simpler Times and Grower Assessments
The March 20 Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) meeting provided some education about destination dupes for people who aren’t constantly in the social media loop. It looked at how Florida orange juice (OJ) can invoke simpler times and provided a preview of likely Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) grower tax assessments for the 2024–25 citrus season. DESTINATION DUPES John Fuller, director …
New Marketing Agency Likely for Department of Citrus
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on March 20 expressed its intent to hire a new marketing agency for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). The FCC, which governs the FDOC, voted to give FDOC staff approval to post the intent to award Padilla the marketing business and pursue contract negotiations with them. Padilla would replace current FDOC agency Edible Inc. …
Florida Juice Prices and Marketing Focus
At the Jan. 17 Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) meeting, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler reported on price increases for orange juice (OJ) and grapefruit juice. Nielsen data for the period ending Dec. 2, 2023 showed: Zansler reported that the average increase in grapefruit juice price year-over-year is 4.27%, somewhat in line with …
Updates on FDOC Research Projects
Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) members on Jan. 17 heard an update on one recent Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) scientific research project and learned about some future research plans. Rosa Walsh, FDOC director of scientific research, presented the information. PROGRAM FOR EXPEDITED PROPAGATIONWalsh reported that the 2022–23 Program for Expedited Propagation of HLB Tolerant and Resistant Trees was successful. She …