 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
News for citrus growers around the globe
There have been some changes and new opportunities for growers to benefit from a cost-share program available from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Water Policy (OAWP). We asked John “JP” Fraites to provide some insights on what the OAWP does and the cost-share program. First, what is your role with FDACS? FRAITES: As …
Orange juice (OJ) and grapefruit juice retail sales volumes dipped compared to the prior year for the period that ended Nov. 30, but the prices for both products increased. Marisa Zansler, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) director of economic and market research, reported that information to the Florida Citrus Commission on Dec. 18. ORANGE JUICE The four-week year-over-year OJ trend …
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred recently hosted an OJ Break and Fruit Display. The Dec. 18 back-to-back events were well attended. Ariel Singerman, UF/IFAS citrus economist, presented his research during the OJ Break. One area he addressed was crop insurance adoption among growers. Singerman shared a …
There’s been much talk about the “tree of the future” in the Florida citrus industry. That’s a tree with the trifecta of HLB-resistance, great quality and strong yield. So far, that perfect combination has not been found. But the search is on. This was a topic of discussion during the December episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael …
Citrus Industry subscribers will now receive their magazine content inside of Specialty Crop Grower. The new home for Citrus Industry begins with the January issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine, available in print and digitally. On the cover of the January issue of Specialty Crop Grower is a face familiar to many in Florida’s citrus community. Jim Snively of Southern …
An area quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, in California was recently expanded. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued the expansion. The quarantined area in the Mission Viejo area of Orange County expanded by approximately 85 square miles. …
Researchers with Brazil’s Fundecitrus discussed HLB-related topics at the recent 15th International Citrus Conference in South Korea. Fundecitrus’ Franklin Behlau participated in the section of papers related to HLB, also known as citrus greening disease. Most of the papers provided updates on the disease situation in different locations, including Florida, China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran and Brazil. Behlau discussed the …
Farmers and ranchers have received a temporary reprieve from federal reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), thanks to a nationwide injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The ruling delays enforcement of the Beneficial Ownership Information filing requirements, which were set to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The CTA mandates that businesses, …
After hurricanes hit citrus-producing regions in Florida, there is always one question included in the conversation: How bad is it? Experience has shown that the damage from hurricanes can take months to fully manifest. And recovery can take years, especially in the HLB-era. Within a week after Hurricane Milton making landfall on Oct. 9, the University of Florida Institute of …
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: There have been some mixed results from OTC injections depending on geography within Florida. Is the citrus industry in Florida experiencing a recovery from the effects of HLB or not? Tom Johnson: Since the release of ReMedium TI® …
Hurricanes bring immediate tree damage from high winds and torrential rainfall, but storms also can lay the groundwork for citrus disease problems. Soon after Hurricane Milton passed through citrus-growing regions, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a webinar that covered various topics including post-storm disease management. CANKER Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant …
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists led by Kranthi Mandadi are seeking novel solutions to huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. Mandadi is a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and a researcher at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. In the past few years, he and his collaborators have …
University of Georgia (UGA) County Extension Coordinator Jake Price recently reported on the Nov. 19 harvest of fruit from six Owari satsuma trees on X-639 rootstock. The trees were part of a pruning field trial. Price said three pruned trees yielded 380, 527 and 457 pounds of fruit, respectively; three unpruned control trees yielded 569, 596 and 418 pounds, respectively. …
Nelson Wulff of Fundecitrus recently signed a technical cooperation agreement between Fundecitrus and the National Center of Genetic Resources (Cenargen/Embrapa) for a project to develop biotechnological solutions for HLB. Wulff, coordinator of the Fundecitrus Biotechnology and Diagnostics Laboratory, signed the agreement at the 50th anniversary ceremony of Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Brazil. Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology has …
By John M. Chater and Davie Kadyampakeni Soil fertility is a keystone to a productive citrus grove in Florida. In the era of huanglongbing (HLB), the need to fine-tune soil fertility takes on even more importance. The sandy soils found in citrus-growing regions of the state are great for drainage to reduce flooding stress of citrus trees in many cases, …
Muhammad Shahid, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of horticulture, joined the All In For Citrus podcast recently to discuss the growing citrus industry in the cold-hardy region of North Florida, South Georgia and Southeast Alabama. Production continues to expand in the area with some 7,000 to 8,000 acres of citrus. Shahid is based …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking steps to streamline and provide flexibilities for environmental compliance requirements for 2024 hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. It is allowing its Farm Service Agency (FSA) to expedite approval of payments and practice implementation for Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) and Tree Assistance Program (TAP) applicants impacted by the …
Mark Kistler requests the Indian River region’s agricultural and natural resources representatives to attend a strategic positioning session to share their observations on important topics. The session is planned for Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. until noon, at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) at 2199 South Rock Road …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) expects Costa Rican orange production to increase approximately 11% in 2024–25, to 250,000 metric tons. Production in 2023–24 was lower than expected at 225,000 metric tons as a result of erratic rainfall patterns associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon. The area planted in oranges is expected to remain unchanged …
Producers may sign up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program through Jan. 8, 2025. MASC provides financial assistance to specialty crop producers to help expand domestic markets or develop new markets for their crops. MASC helps specialty crop producers offset higher marketing costs related to: ELIGIBILITY MASC covers numerous commercially marketed …
