Australian Citrus Congress

Highlights of the Australian Citrus Congress

Daniel Cooper Events, International

The inaugural Australian Citrus Congress was held March 5–7 at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort. The event drew more than 400 attendees for a conference, trade show, gala dinner and biosecurity symposium. Organized by Citrus Australia, highlights of the event included the following: “Businesses across the supply chain had the opportunity to learn something new or make a connection that …

california

California Citrus Growers Anticipate Good Year Despite Challenges

Daniel Cooper California Corner, Pests, Production

Two California citrus industry leaders recently shared their perspectives on the prospects of the industry.  Al Bates, chief executive officer and president of Sun Pacific, said the yield for this year’s crop is mediocre but that “the fruit size is larger and ideal from a consumer perspective.”  The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) projected a 1% increase in …

planting

CRAFT Program Promotes New Planting and Knowledge

Daniel Cooper CRAFT, planting, Research

Since its founding in 2019, the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program has been responsible for the planting of just under 10,000 acres of new trees. This includes about 6,000 acres of solid-set groves and just shy of 4,000 acres of resets. CRAFT is a first-of-its-kind program and considered an innovation among funding agencies needed to support such efforts. …

april

Sneak Peek: April 2024 Citrus Industry

Daniel Cooper Sneak Peek

See what’s new in citrus in the April issue of Citrus Industry magazine. In this month’s cover story, an established company gets a new name. As the next generation joins the business, learn how DLF International has transitioned to Feek Family Citrus in Fort Pierce, Florida. Trying new things and carefully monitoring costs are a few of the ways this …

Florida citrus

Summary of the 2022–23 Florida Citrus Season

Daniel Cooper Export, Florida, Production

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) summarized Florida citrus production, value and exports last season in its new Florida Citrus Statistics 2022–23 report. PRODUCTION Florida’s total citrus production in 2022–23 was 18.1 million boxes, down 60% from the previous season’s 45.3 million boxes. Florida’s orange production, at 15.8 million boxes, was down 62% from the previous season. …

marketing agency

New Marketing Agency Likely for Department of Citrus

Daniel Cooper Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, Marketing

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. …

protect developing

Protect Developing Fruit From Lebbeck Mealybugs

Daniel Cooper Pests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock As the March bloom tapers off and fruit begin to set, it is time to think about lebbeck mealybug management to protect developing fruit. Damage to setting fruit causes malformed fruit that are often aborted or not marketable if they continue development (Figure 1). Early-season management is critical to both reducing early fruit damage and to maintaining …

tree health

Get an Assist in Gauging Tree Health

Daniel Cooper Technology

If there was ever a time when Florida citrus growers would want to get a better read on tree health, this season might it. A significant number of acres have been treated with new trunk-injection therapies, and growers have been monitoring groves to observe the impact of the treatments. Growers have traditionally relied on visual observation to get a sense …

georgia

‘The Psyllids Will Like Georgia Just Fine’

Daniel Cooper Georgia, Psyllids

A California citrus leader believes Georgia will make an ideal home for the Asian citrus psyllid, which vectors the devastating huanglongbing (HLB) disease. “North of Florida, it is colder, and it’s certainly not as suitable a place as Florida is, but the psyllid is still going to be fine. The cold isn’t long enough here to knock the populations out,” …

red sea

Red Sea Disruptions Hit Egyptian Citrus Exports

Daniel Cooper International, Shipping

Attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on commercial vessels have resulted in many shipping companies rerouting away from two of the world’s busiest shipping routes — the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Egyptian citrus exports have been part of the global trade and supply chain that has been disrupted by the attacks. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign …

production

Turkish Lemon and Grapefruit Production to Rise

Daniel Cooper Crop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects that lemon and grapefruit production in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey) will both increase in 2023–24. LEMON Lemon production is forecast to increase 20% to 1.58 million metric tons (MMT). The increase is due to favorable weather conditions during spring 2023. Half of the total lemon production in Türkiye …

tolerant

Growers Must Settle for HLB-Tolerant Trees While Waiting for Resistance

Daniel Cooper Events, HLB Management, Varieties

The dream of citrus varieties being totally resistant to huanglongbing (HLB) disease (citrus greening) is still a distant reality for Florida growers. For now, they must depend on tolerant varieties to lessen the disease’s impact, which is widespread throughout most of the state. Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center …

impactful

PIECES OF THE PAST: An Impactful Citrus Sisterhood

Daniel Cooper Miss Florida Citrus, Pieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette It’s amazing to see how impactful the Florida Citrus Queens have been in marketing our crops! From swimming with dolphins to posing on top of the sign for the host hotel of the annual pageant, these women worked overtime to sell Florida citrus. Dick Pope, founder of Cypress Gardens, was a master at using the Florida …

wage

Senators Call for Freeze on H-2A Wage Rate

Daniel Cooper Labor, Legislative

Sixteen U.S. senators recently introduced a bill to revert the H-2A program’s adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) to the December 2023 rate through the end of the 2025 growing season. Two of the senators who introduced the Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2024 are from citrus-producing states — Rick Scott of Florida and John Cornyn of Texas. A majority of …

march

All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2024

Daniel Cooper All In For Citrus Podcast, Irrigation

As winter transitions to spring, it is important to monitor irrigation needs in citrus. This is especially true in Florida, where nearly all trees are infected with HLB. Irrigation was a topic of discussion during the March episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …

streptomycin

EPA Updates Streptomycin Uses on Citrus

Daniel Cooper Legal, Pesticides

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 3 provided an update on streptomycin uses on citrus. The update followed the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ December 2023 decision that vacated the 2021 registration amendments for streptomycin because of the agency’s failure to comply with the Endangered Species Act. The 2021 amendments added a time-limited use on citrus crop …

growing

Growing Citrus With Soil Health in Mind

Daniel Cooper Cover Crops, Georgia, Soil Health

Herb Young enjoyed a 40-year career in the agricultural chemical industry, starting as a technical service representative and eventually becoming a product manager. During those years, he worked on various specialty crops across the country. About 25 years of his career was spent in field research roles. So, experimentation with crops and growing practices comes naturally to Young. He has …

georgia citrus association

Georgia Citrus Association Outlines Industry Initiatives

Daniel Cooper Georgia

The Georgia citrus industry has experienced a significant increase in production since it started more than 10 years ago. The Georgia Citrus Association (GCA) is taking steps to ensure continued expansion. During the GCA’s recent annual meeting in Tifton, association president Lindy Savelle spoke with AgNet Media and outlined her organization’s priorities on the heels of another harvest season. A …

Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute

Register for the 2024 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute

Daniel Cooper Events, HLB Management, Tip of the Week

Citrus greening or huanglongbing (HLB) continues to impact all citrus production areas of Florida. The 2024 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute is an opportunity for Florida citrus growers to come together to learn about effective management of HLB and other challenging pests and diseases affecting the industry. Topics this year include horticultural management of HLB, citrus nutrient management and management of …