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News for citrus growers around the globe
The Citrus Industry section of the April 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower highlights ongoing efforts to strengthen Florida’s citrus sector amid challenges. Articles this month showcase education, nutrient management and variety development. A recap of the Florida Citrus Show details a successful March event in Fort Pierce that combined education with a lively tailgate-style trade show. Growers Daniel Hunt, …
It can be challenging to be a Florida citrus grower and find optimism in today’s economic and production climates. After more than 20 years of dealing with citrus greening disease, it is understandable for growers to be downtrodden. But one grower sees some positivity. Daniel Hunt, with Hunt Bros. in Lake Wales, was cautiously optimistic when discussing the future of …
Effective fire ant control calls for long-term, proactive treatment. It isn’t enough to fight the fire ants on the surface. Fire ant tunnels can extend deep underground, up to 25 feet away from visible mounds. The fire ants you can see are only a fraction of the problem – and are easily replaceable. Central Life Sciences has the product solutions …
Three sapote fruit fly quarantines have been established in Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). Altogether, the quarantines encompass approximately 1,102 acres of commercial citrus. On Feb. 23, APHIS and TDA established one quarantine in Rio Hondo and another in Harlingen, Cameron County. They were …
By Muhammad A. Shahid, KeAndre Leaks, Davie Kadyampakeni and Carlos Aucique-Perez Postfreeze citrus tree management requires patience and careful observation rather than immediate intervention. Damage to the vascular system (cambium, xylem and phloem) may take months to fully appear. Trees can initially flush in spring but later decline if internal tissues are too compromised. A reliable assessment of survival should …
According to Saunders Land’s annual Lay of the Land Market Report, there were 79 Florida citrus land transactions in 2025 totaling 20,352 acres. Pricing ranged from $3,936 to $56,003 per acre. The average price per acre was $13,788. Sales ranged in size from 9.81 acres to 4,633.47 acres. Notable large transactions included a 4,633.47-acre sale in Charlotte County for $41.9 …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has issued 2025–26 production and trade forecasts for European Union (EU) citrus. TANGERINES/MANDARINS EU tangerine and mandarin production in 2025–26 is estimated at 2.794 million metric tons (MMT), down from the 2.97 MMT bumper crop in the previous season. After years of constant contraction, EU’s tangerine and mandarin area has …
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) recently sought disaster aid in a letter to Florida’s congressional delegation and joined other agricultural groups in asking President Trump for economic assistance. FREEZE ASSISTANCE FFVA Chair Steven Callaham and President Michael Joyner on March 20 asked the Florida delegation’s support in securing supplemental disaster funding for Florida specialty crop producers affected by …
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors held a lengthy discussion about the upcoming merger with the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation during its March meeting. Then the board considered research projects and funded four of them. A project by Hailing Jin of the University of California Riverside will test trees in Florida which contain …
The Florida Citrus Commission’s (FCC) Global Marketing Committee on March 18 reported on several Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing efforts. FLORIDA ORANGE JUICE The committee reported that attributed Florida orange juice (OJ) sales have reached $36.15 million to date with 2.73 million units sold, exceeding the attributed sales goal of $35 million. To further advance the True Original campaign, …
The March forecast for California’s 2025–26 Valencia orange crop is 17 million 40-pound cartons. The forecast is based on the results of the 2025–26 Valencia Orange Objective Measurement Survey, which was conducted from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, prepared the …
A U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) forecast for citrus in Türkiye in 2025–26 included a report on oranges and orange juice (OJ). ORANGES Orange production is forecast to decrease 15% to around 1.3 million metric tons (MMT). This is due to severe frost occurring in spring 2025. The most popular orange types in Türkiye are Washington …
By Matt Smith Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. People often wonder, what is the most timeless movie of all? I’ve heard several contenders. You probably have a …
The March All In For Citrus podcast previews a couple of events coming in April and May that growers will want to mark on their calendars. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), discusses the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute scheduled for April 14 at South Florida …
Two adult Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) samples were confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) in two central California coastal counties on March 10, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) reported. CLas is the bacterium that causes HLB. One sample was collected during a routine commodity survey in a commercial citrus grove in the Fillmore area of Ventura …
The Florida Farm Bill, signed into law on March 23 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, combines the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) with the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation. The law will take effect July 1. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler cited some of the bills provisions pertaining to the merge: Dantzler reported that reasons cited for the …
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on March 18 responded affirmatively to citrus industry requests for increased marketing allocations for domestic fresh citrus and for limited promotions in some export markets. The FCC is the governing board for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). DOMESTIC FRESH CITRUS The FDOC reported that a request from Florida Citrus Mutual for allocating more of …
By Ramdas Kanissery Spring is here and so are the weeds in citrus groves. Warmer temperatures and increasing soil moisture create ideal conditions for weeds. Growers often notice a rapid spring flush of weeds emerging in the tree rows and in the row middles during this time (Figure 1). If not managed early, these weeds can compete with citrus trees …
In an industry built on hard work and resilience, having a place to come together matters. The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo offers exactly that, a space where growers and industry leaders connect, share and strengthen the relationships that drive agriculture forward. For many growers, the Expo has become a yearly tradition. It’s a time to reconnect with familiar faces, …
By Lauren Diepenbrock Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) has provided growers with a profitable method for producing fresh fruit in Florida. Growers who have implemented this system have noted quality fruit production and reduced inputs. However, when changes are imposed to the production environment, they are also imposed to the invertebrate pest complex, which can be either beneficial or detrimental …
