 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
News for citrus growers around the globe
By Davie Kadyampakeni Huanglongbing (HLB) is a citrus disease that affects the growth of the fibrous roots of citrus trees. This means that HLB-affected trees may have reduced root volume, which impacts water uptake. A greenhouse study was conducted from October 2019 to July 2021 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and …
Orange and orange juice (OJ) production in Morocco are both projected to be higher in 2023–24 than in the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). FRESH ORANGESOrange production in 2023–24 is expected to increase by 5%, reaching 820,000 metric tons (MT). The increase is due to improved weather conditions during the growing …
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist and his team are hopeful that some so-called “long-shot” varieties will pay off in the effort to find HLB-tolerant grapefruit. Matthew Mattia of the USDA Agricultural Research Services (ARS) U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida, found the varieties at the A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm in Groveland, Florida. The varieties are Florida …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has forecast that South Africa’s tangerine/mandarin production will total 740,000 metric tons in 2023–24, up 4% from the prior season. Young trees coming into production is a primary reason for the increase. PLANTING EXPANSION SLOWSSouth Africa has 27,500 hectares of tangerines/mandarins, also known as soft citrus. The rapid expansion in …
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP My job is to help you make money. By changing the way the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) does business in pursuing citrus solutions, I hope to change your business for the better. We’ve just launched a UF/IFAS Crop Transformation Center (CTC). It has the potential to speed delivery …
Federal and California officials have expanded a Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine in Los Angeles County and an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The expansion of both …
Lemon production in Chile is projected to grow 6.7% in 2023–24 compared to the previous season and reach 175,000 metric tons (MT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. The expected production increase is due to high profits and an increase in planted area. The lemon planted area in Chile is estimated at 1,150 hectares, a …
John Chater has been on the job now for two years, working with growers to evaluate variety performance in field trials. In the latest All In For Citrus podcast episode, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor discusses his work, including grower collaboration to study new varieties in real-world environments. Chater also talks about …
Egyptian orange production in 2023–24 is projected to increase 2.7% from the prior season to 3.7 million metric tons (MMT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. The increase in production is attributed to optimal weather conditions and temperatures during flowering of the trees, which increased fruit set and production. Oranges are the major citrus crop …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding specialty crop growers that assistance is available for producers who incur eligible on-farm expenses to obtain or renew a certification through the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program. Producers can apply for assistance with their calendar year 2023 expenses through Jan. 31. FSCSC covers a percentage of the operation’s cost …
Positive identifications of citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) have been found in the Hacienda Heights area of Los Angeles County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the identifications during the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) routine multi-pest survey. This is the second area in California where CYVCV has been detected. The …
U.S. growers produced 1.12 million tons of lemons in 2022–23, an increase of 5.5% (or 58,000 tons) from last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) reported. One third of these lemons went to processing with the remainder going to the fresh market. California lemon production experienced rising acreage and yields with growers in that state …
Matthew Machata grew up in Polk County on the family’s citrus farm, Rolling Meadows Ranch Groves in Lake Wales, Florida. After he graduated high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served two tours in Iraq. He then attended Auburn University, where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering. At the time, his plans didn’t include farming, but that changed …
Australian fresh orange production is forecast at 530,000 metric tons (MT) in 2023–24 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). This is a 5% increase over 2022–23 production of 505,000 MT. Producers expect to benefit from easing input costs and labor constraints in 2023–24. In particular, the costs of fertilizer and crop protection chemicals have reduced …
University of California, Riverside (UCR) has received three federal grants totaling more than $11 million for research focused on instilling HLB-tolerance in citrus trees. The grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The funding was enabled by the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act, which authorized the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development …
By Jawwad A. Qureshi, Lauren Diepenbrock and Davie Kadyampakeni Protecting citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is critical to reducing the spread and severity of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. The frequent availability of viable shoots in young trees is attractive to psyllid colonization, feeding and oviposition events. UV-metalized reflective mulches reflect ultraviolet light, which is disturbing for some insects …
Production of oranges in Costa Rica in 2023–24 is expected to decline 15% from the prior year to 250,000 metric tons (MT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. The decline is a result of unfavorable weather conditions in Northern Costa Rica associated with an El Niño weather system. Two companies, TicoFrut and Del Oro, control …
The Chilean Citrus Committee, which recently reported a strong export season, also discussed the challenges of competition and inclement weather that its citrus exporters face. “It (2023) was a season that ended with many challenges, such as growing competition,” said Juan Enrique Ortuzar, president of the committee. “The competition did not disappear, but we had favorable circumstances that allowed …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson recently announced that farmers can apply for the Florida Farm Tax Exempt Agricultural Materials (TEAM) Card beginning Jan. 1, 2024. The card can be used for sales-tax-exempt purchases of agricultural materials. The Florida Department of Revenue will accept online and mailed applications. The plastic wallet-sized Florida Farm TEAM Card is a physical alternative to …
By Clara Diekman and Michelle Danyluk The Food Traceability Rule (FTR) is a federal regulation that establishes recordkeeping requirements for persons who manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the Food Traceability List (FTL). The goal of this rule is to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identify and remove potentially contaminated food from the market more rapidly, …
