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Production of lemons and limes in South Africa will grow by 7% to a historic high of 670,000 metric tons (MT) in 2021–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently estimated. In 2020–21, South Africa produced 626,791 MT of the fruit. PLANTED AREAThe area planted with lemons and limes grew more than threefold over the past 10 …
Florida’s seashores, lakes, rivers and springs make it a unique spot in the world. In Southwest Florida, water is an area of intense focus in recent years as various sectors work to protect the resource. Florida Gulf Coast University, in Fort Myers, has established The Water School, recognizing the critical role water plays in the region. A new 114,000-square-foot teaching …
Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association members gathered in Palm Beach recently for the organization’s annual conference. The status of nutrient regulations and water-quality issues were at the top of the agenda for the group. Ernie Barnett, Florida Land Council president, addressed those issues during the conference. He has been involved with water issues in the state for more than 30 …
The goal of an expedited tree propagation program is to have several million HLB-tolerant or HLB-resistant trees planted in the next several years. Greg Hodges, assistant director of the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Industry (DPI), said he believes that goal is attainable. Hodges and others presented the propagation plans to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on July …
There 17 essential elements that plants need to grow. Three of those elements come to plants via water and the atmosphere. The 14 other elements come from fertilizer applications. Almost all of those are dependent on soil pH to determine how well they are picked up by plants’ root systems. Getting the soil pH just right was discussed in the …
Growers and industry leaders should mark their calendars for this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo scheduled for Aug. 17–18 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. Complimentary registration is available for all growers, packers, shippers, processors, association members and university researchers. Josh McGill, show director, discusses why industry members should attend this year’s event. “We’re really …
The final U.S. citrus forecast of the 2021–22 season, released July 12, projected production changes for crops in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona compared to the June forecast. FLORIDAFlorida’s all-orange forecast rose 1%, to 40.95 million boxes, due to a slight increase in non-Valencia orange production and a 1% increase in expected Valencia orange production. The Florida grapefruit production forecast …
The May 12 federal crop forecast increased Florida’s expected Valencia orange crop by 10% and reduced the state’s grapefruit projection by 6%. The Valencia crop was increased by 2 million boxes, to 22 million boxes, in the forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. As of late April, 88% of the Valencia crop had been …
U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) introduced the Temperature Endorsement for Multi-Peril Policies (TEMP) Act to protect farmers impacted by crop-damaging freezes. Rep. Steube proposes this legislation for inclusion in the 2023 farm bill. “This winter, a freeze caused significant damages to Florida’s citrus, sugarcane, ornamental plants, and many fruits and vegetables. Currently, specialty-crop insurance policies are expensive, leaving farmers with limited options …
Florida’s Valencia orange crop forecast was cut by 13%, and the state’s grapefruit crop projection was trimmed by 8% in the April 8 forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. The Valencia crop projection was reduced by 3 million boxes, to 20 million boxes. Final fruit size is below the minimum, requiring 273 pieces of …
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) disaster designation for 17 counties and 10 contiguous counties impacted by the freezing temperatures that occurred in late January. View the USDA’s approval letter here. “With the approval of our request for a disaster declaration, farmers in Florida have resources available …
Several agricultural associations filed suit in federal court Feb. 10 seeking to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from prohibiting the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on food crops beginning Feb. 28. The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association is among those seeking the action. According to the American Soybean Association, which is one of those suing, the agricultural associations …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has revised the conditions for interstate movement of citrus fruit from areas quarantined for both sweet orange scab (Elsinöe australis, SOS) and citrus canker (Xanthomonas axonopodis, CC). The revisions allow for the movement of fruit to packinghouses located in contiguous states that are not quarantined for either disease. …
With more than two weeks past since the late January freeze in Florida, citrus growers are still assessing the fallout. Some key production regions saw the coldest temperatures in years. With HLB endemic, there’s a lot of unknowns how trees will react to the stress the cold temperatures induced. However, some growers didn’t have to wait to see damage to …
Florida Citrus Mutual recently published the following statement about comments it submitted regarding the wage rate for temporary foreign H-2A workers: “On January 31, 2022, Florida Citrus Mutual, along with many other agricultural entities nationwide, submitted comments to the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) in reference to the proposed changes to the methodology for the adverse effect wage rate …
Due to a surge in infections related to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) 2022 Ag Worker Safety Program is being offered virtually through June 30. It became available Feb. 1. UF/IFAS has alerted fresh citrus growers, packers and shippers about the program’s availability. This annual bilingual training is designed to …
The Florida citrus industry has been focused on finding solutions to the fruit drop problem that has hit groves hard in recent years. During the 2022 Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce, Fernando Alferez, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, assistant professor of citrus horticulture, presented findings from a research trial aimed at reducing fruit drop. The …
Florida’s projected 2021–22 orange crop was reduced by 1 million boxes, to 43.5 million boxes, in the February citrus crop forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. The forecast was released Feb. 9. The entire orange reduction was in the to-be-harvested Valencia crop, which was reduced 4% to 26 million boxes. The forecast for non-Valencia …
In response to citrus damage from a late January freeze, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Feb. 3 lowered the minimum ratio requirement for oranges to 8.5:1 with a minimum Brix of 8 for fresh and processed fruit. Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), the state’s largest citrus grower association, asked for the emergency action on Jan. 31. FCM CEO Mike Sparks …
It’s tough to be a citrus grower in Florida right now. In the January All In For Citrus podcast episode, Michael Rogers discusses the challenging environment for growers. Below-average prices and low yields are among the major obstacles. However, the UF/IFAS citrus researchers and Extension agents continue to work hard on behalf of growers, looking for tools they can use …
