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By Skyler Simnitt, Gulcan Onel and Derek Farnsworth In an environment where citrus is still mainly harvested by hand and skilled domestic workers are harder to employ, employers increasingly rely on the H-2A guest-worker program to establish and retain a reliable and efficient workforce. It is estimated that guest workers now account for 80 percent or more of all citrus …
Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, reports that his association is working with state and federal officials on a financial assistance program to support losses to the Florida citrus crop from Hurricane Irma. “We have been in constant communication with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), as well as the Florida Department of Citrus …
A day after Hurricane Irma exited Florida, Ray Royce, executive director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, said, “Early anecdotal estimates are that half to two-thirds of the crop is on the ground in our area.” He says that from the little bit he has been out and around in the Central Florida Ridge, he has not seen any …
Steve Smith, executive director of the Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association, says he is getting a mixed bag of reports on Hurricane Irma damage from growers in his area. “Some growers are calling in with limited damage with a few pieces of fruit on the ground, and others are saying heavy damage and trees pushed over on the outside …
The Indian River area on the East Coast apparently fared the best of all Florida citrus-growing regions hit by Hurricane Irma. “I’m hearing the vast majority of the crop made it through,” says Indian River Citrus League Executive Vice President Doug Bournique. He thinks a maximum of 20 percent of the region’s crop was lost. Bournique says many groves remain …
Ron Hamel, Gulf Citrus Growers Association executive vice president, says it has been difficult to reach area growers in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma due to the lack of power. At this point, he says, people are busy assessing the damage to the citrus crop and trying to get standing water out of groves. Hamel says Collier and Hendry county …
As Hurricane Irma tore through Florida on September 10-11, all of the state’s citrus-growing regions were affected to some degree. “There’s no doubt we’ve had some serious damage,” said Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Sparks. “The amount of loss varies substantially from the various citrus-growing regions.” In Florida’s southwest citrus region, Sparks said, “Crop …
A historical perspective and current conditions are key to understanding what will happen to the orange juice market in the future if HLB-resistant trees are introduced. By Allen Morris Between 2001–02 and 2016–17, the Nielsen-measured retail U.S. orange juice market declined by 50 percent, Florida orange production declined by 70 percent and retail orange juice prices increased by 53 percent …
By Fritz M. Roka The number of H-2A foreign guest workers employed in Florida’s agricultural operations has grown from 4,400 in 2009 to nearly 23,000 by the start of the 2015 citrus harvesting season, more than a five-fold increase (Figure 1). More H-2A workers came to Florida in 2015 than to any other state. Industry leaders estimate that more than …
By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Use of bactericides to reduce disease levels in infected trees continues to be a topic of debate in Florida citrus. Now in the second season of grower use, many growers are continuing to use the three products containing oxytetracycline or streptomycin within their seasonal spray programs. The Citrus …
By Ariel Singerman, Marina Burani-Arouca, Stephen H. Futch and Robert Ranieri This article summarizes the charges for harvesting citrus in Florida during the 2016–17 season. The estimates provided are key for computing on-tree prices and to estimate economic returns to citrus growers. The estimates are based on a survey of harvesters conducted in May 2017. A total of 15 harvesters …
The next issue of Citrus Industry magazine takes a look at the status of citrus labor in Florida. A trio of articles offers insights on harvesting costs, using the H-2A program and keeping skilled workers. Also included in the September issue is coverage from the 2017 Citrus Expo held in Fort Myers, Florida, on August 16–17. An appearance by Secretary …
By Nabil Killiny and Steve Futch Citrus growers frequently inquire if Florida temperatures in the summer or winter are sufficiently high or low enough to control or suppress the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). This question is the subject of this short article. The reason growers pose the question about how temperature impacts psyllids is because ACP is a phloem feeder …
By Marcos Fava Neves The first forecast of the 2017–18 Brazilian orange crop was published in May. Brazil expects a total of 364.47 million boxes, including the following: 68.49 million boxes of Hamlin, Westin and Rubi varieties 17.42 million boxes of Valencia Americana, Valencia Argentina, Seleta and Pineapple varieties 114.52 million boxes of the Pera Rio variety 123.04 million boxes …
Florida Citrus Packers honored George F. Hamner Jr. with its John T. Lesley Award for Excellence at Packinghouse Day on August 24, 2017. The John T. Lesley Award is the organization’s highest recognition, reserved for individuals making sustained and outstanding contributions to Florida’s fresh citrus industry. The list of recipients reads like a “who’s who” of the Florida citrus industry. …
By Ute Albrecht Tolerance to a disease is generally defined as the ability to be productive in the presence of disease-causing organisms. This is contrary to resistance, which is defined as the ability to completely evade a pathogen due to specific resistance mechanisms. The question as to what defines an HLB-“tolerant” rootstock was posed in an article by Bill Castle, …
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and Bayer CropScience announced a new partnership at Citrus Expo. In an effort to discover new technologies to manage citrus greening disease, CRDF will invest $12 million with Bayer over a three-year period. Bayer will focus on product research and development of both biological and chemical controls. Adrian Percy, head of research and …
By Jude W. Grosser and Frederick G. Gmitter It’s no secret that citrus greening disease, or HLB, continues to take a heavy toll on the beloved Florida citrus industry. It has been estimated that the industry will need to replant over 3 million trees per year for the next 10 years just to get back to normal. So the million-dollar …
Nominations are now being sought for potential inductees to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies are scheduled to take place on Friday, March 9, 2018, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The luncheon is co-sponsored by Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Department of Citrus. Eligible nominees are those distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to the …
By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As we start the new fiscal year at the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), there are a number of priority activities in place to focus effort and resources on important tools for managing citrus in the presence of HLB. Here are some highlights. Currently, CRDF is sponsoring …
