global

Citrus Industry Members to Advise on Trade

Josh McGillTrade

Several members of the U.S. citrus industry have been appointed or re-appointed to the federal Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables. They include James Cranney Jr. of California Citrus Quality Council, Casey Creamer of California Citrus Mutual, Melissa Frank-Poole of The Wonderful Company, Dale Murden of Texas Citrus Mutual and Daniel Richey of Riverfront Packing Company. …

Oranges and OJ in China: Production and Trade

Josh McGillChina, Crop Forecast, Orange Juice

Orange production in China is expected to increase in 2022–23 over the prior year, while its orange juice (OJ) production is forecast to decline. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDAFAS). ORANGESChina’s orange production in 2022–23 is forecast to reach 7.6 million metric tons (MMT), up from 7.55 MMT the prior year. The …

Mexican Orange Production and Trade

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, Mexico, Orange Juice

Mexican orange production in 2022–23 is forecast at 4.2 million metric tons (MMT), 9% lower than the previous year, due to prolonged drought in northeastern Mexico. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). Mexico is estimated to be the fifth-largest orange producer in the world behind Brazil, China, India and the United …

production

Australia Orange Juice Production and Trade

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, Orange Juice

Orange juice (OJ) production in Australia in 2022–23 is forecast at 16,100 metric tons (MT), a decrease of 2% from the 2021–22 season’s 16,500 MT. In 2020–21, the country’s OJ production reached 17,400 MT. The 2022–23 forecast was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).   The planted area of juicing orange varieties, accounting for 36% …

Orange Juice in Europe: Production, Consumption and Trade

Josh McGillExport/Import, International, Orange Juice

European Union (EU) orange juice (OJ) production is forecast at 70,390 metric tons (MT) in 2021–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported. That’s a drop of almost 10% compared to the previous period due to the expected decline in EU orange supply. Spain is the major orange processor in the EU, followed by Italy. Approximately 20% of …

Citrus Showcase Speaker Predicts Trade War Ahead

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Trade

Geopolitcal expert Peter Zeihan was the keynote speaker for the recent California Citrus Mutual Showcase. The showcase was presented March 4 online. Zeihan said he believes North America will recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 this year, but the rest of the world will not. That, along with other factors, leads him to predict a trade war is inevitable, …

Trade Issues for Fresh Florida Citrus

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus during the recent virtual citrus Packinghouse Day meeting. Richey, also a member of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, says foreign sales are especially important for Florida citrus.  One of the biggest topics of trade conversation is the effects on the market since the …

Growers to Offer Trade Input

Ernie NeffTrade

The Trump administration will hold two hearings in August with seasonal produce growers to discuss foreign trade policies that may be harming farmers. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recently announced the hearings planned for 9 a.m. Aug. 13 and Aug. 20. At the hearings, officials from the federal agencies will hear from farmers …

citrus forecast

Trade Issues Update for Fresh Citrus

Ernie NeffTrade

Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus at the Aug. 19 Citrus Packinghouse Day in Lake Alfred. Foreign sales are extremely important for fresh Florida citrus, says Richey, a member for five years of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, appointed jointly by the U.S. secretary of agriculture and the U.S. …

citrus forecast

European Union Trade Breakthrough for U.S. Citrus

Daniel CooperCitrus, Trade

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn announced that the European Union (EU) has amended its requirements for imports of U.S. citrus. Specifically, the EU has dropped its requirement that U.S. groves be surveyed for citrus canker, which eases entry of U.S. citrus into the EU market and saves growers millions of dollars in …

Medfly

Medfly Quarantine Expanded in California

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara counties in California twice in October. The expansions are in response to the confirmed detections between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 of 22 wild female Medflies, 14 …

quarantine areas

Mexfly Quarantine Areas Expanded and Consolidated in Texas

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) have expanded the Harlingen and Sebastian Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas and consolidated them into a single quarantine area, now termed the Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine. The quarantine area spans portions of Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. DETECTIONS AND EXPANSIONS …

Hurricane Milton

Alico on Hurricane Milton Damage

Daniel Cooperhurricane

Initial assessments indicate that Alico, Inc. sustained minimal tree damage and some fruit drop from Hurricane Milton. The company stated that its approximately 48,000 acres of citrus groves in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and Polk counties, Florida, sustained hurricane or tropical storm force winds for varying durations of time. Initial observations include measurable drop of fruit from trees …

pest risk

Pest Risk Assessment of Importing Citrus from Botswana

Daniel CooperInternational, Pests, Trade

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) has drafted a pest risk assessment (PRA) that describes potential pests associated with importing fresh commercially produced citrus fruits from Botswana into the United States. The PRA evaluates pest risk presented by lemon, grapefruit, mandarin and sweet orange from Botswana for consumption. The entry of these citrus fruits …

Bournique

Bournique to Serve Fifth Term on Water Board

Daniel CooperIndian River, Water

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently reappointed Indian River Citrus League (IRCL) Executive Vice President Doug Bournique to a fifth four-year term on the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board. According to IRCL, being reappointed to a fifth term is “unprecedented in the history of the water management district.” “There remains so much more to do in supporting …

farmworker protection

Farmworker Protection Rule Challenged

Daniel CooperLabor, Legal

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) has joined several agricultural associations and individual farmers in a lawsuit challenging a federal farmworker protection rule. The Department of Labor (DOL) rule is titled Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States. NCAE stated that the rule unlawfully violates the rights of America’s farm and ranch families. It …

medfly

California Medfly Quarantine Expanded

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

Federal and state agriculture officials on Sept. 6 established a Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Alameda County, California. On Sept. 11, this quarantine was expanded to include a small portion of Santa Clara County. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of …

symposium

Psyllid Control Discussed at South African Citrus Symposium

Daniel CooperBrazil, Events, Psyllids

Researchers Marcelo Miranda and Haroldo Volpe with Brazil’s Fundecitrus discussed control of the HLB-spreading psyllid during a recent visit to a South African research symposium and accompanying events. During the Citrus Research Symposium in Drakensberg, Miranda discussed studies developed at Fundecitrus on the management of the HLB-spreading psyllid (Diaphorina citri). In South Africa, HLB is caused by a bacteria different …

Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo: Agriculture Matters

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo

More than 350,000 acres of citrus and specialty crops were represented at this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in Tampa, Florida, on Aug. 21–22. These acres represented growers from central and southern Florida, as well as producers from the cold-hardy citrus region of North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama. More than 150 exhibitors and sponsors covered the trade …

NOAA

NOAA Updates Above-Normal Hurricane Outlook

Daniel Cooperhurricane, Weather

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service forecasters issued an Atlantic hurricane outlook update on Aug. 8 very similar to its initial outlook issued in May. Both outlooks projected an above-normal hurricane season.   The forecasters updated the number of expected named storms to 17 to 24 (with winds of 39 mph or greater), of which eight to 13 …