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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “California Corner”
California ports remain a critical logjam for products shipped in or out of the country. However, fresh fruit, including California citrus products, is managing to get to foreign markets. Shipping specialist Taylor Ball said “Fruit is getting shipped, but there is a lot of stress and worry involved. But demand remains high, and the prices are good.” Ball manages West …
The California Citrus Mutual (CCM) Marketing Committee estimates that the total navel orange crop for the 2021-22 season will be down 20% from the previous season’s final utilized, or sold, production. The committee also estimates that the mandarin crop will be down as much as 45% from the 2020-2021 season. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s 2021-22 California …
Cover crops, typically planted in the early fall, deliver a host of agricultural and conservation benefits. Citrus growers have found that cover crops reduce water demand, thus saving substantial irrigation costs. In addition, cover crops provide support to beneficial insects, which help reduce pesticide requirements. In partnership with the Contra Costa County Resource Conservation District, two University of California Cooperative …
The ongoing supply-chain crisis is a big headache to businesses and consumers alike, with no end in sight for the immediate future. Perishable products are particularly at risk, as even a week or two delay can affect product quality. The port delays that caused the supply-chain crisis began on the West Coast with labor shortages due to the pandemic. These …
A portion of San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties have been placed under quarantine for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) following the detection of two wild flies in and around the city of Upland in San Bernardino County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the San Bernardino and Los Angeles county agricultural …
It’s been 30 years since John Pehrson retired as a University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) citrus specialist, but he left such a lasting impression on the citrus industry that his work is still revered today. Pehrson was gifted at translating University of California (UC) research and offering practical solutions to help growers better manage their resources and improve citrus …
The costs of establishing and producing oranges in the San Joaquin Valley and the potential returns are the subjects of a new study by University of California (UC) specialists. Conducted by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the study includes information on the production of navel oranges using …
The California Department of Food and Agriculture, working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has announced that the initial 2021-22 California navel orange forecast is 70 million cartons, down 14% from the previous year. Of the total navel orange forecast, 67 million cartons are estimated to be in the Central Valley. Cara Cara variety navel orange production in the Central …
Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), California and Texas citrus growers can apply for the use of detection dogs to survey their groves for Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP-hunting canine scouts are highly trained and have shown to be more than 90% accurate when tested in various environments. The information obtained from the scouting can …
A report issued by California Citrus Mutual (CCM) says that COVID-19 and now a devastating drought have resulted in staggering increases in costs for citrus growers, with only a minimal price correction in the market. Additionally, earlier this year, some growers in Ventura and San Diego counties reported losses due to a severe storm that uprooted trees. The storm also damaged …
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center is expecting a dry winter in Southern California. Specifically, it says the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is predicted to be neutral into the fall (51% chance for the August–October season), with La Niña potentially emerging during the September–November season and lasting through the 2021–22 winter (66% chance during November–January). The forecast comes on the …
The glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) is a pest that made California headlines from the late 1980s until its suppression at the turn of the new century. Unfortunately, it made a fast comeback in 2020, probably due to unusually warm winter weather. A warm winter and spring caused populations in the southern San Joaquin Valley to surge. Kern County traps showed a …
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has declared a quarantine in north San Diego County following the detection of the citrus disease huanglongbing (HLB), known as citrus greening. The disease was found in two citrus trees on one residential property in the city of Oceanside. This is the first time the plant disease, which does not harm people …
California’s efforts to keep huanglongbing (HLB) at bay have been largely successful. So far, the state’s huge citrus industry has avoided the devastating loss of trees that has occurred in Florida, South America and other commercial citrus-growing regions around the world. However, those efforts have come with a cost to citrus growers. Bruce Babcock, professor of public policy at University …
The Citrus Research Board (CRB) has been awarded $3,438,059 in funding from the Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination Group (HLB MAC) to support its California-focused Citrus Research and Field Trials (CRaFT). The overarching goal of the CRaFT project is to demonstrate additional mitigations to improve psyllid control within commercial groves across the various citrus-growing regions in California. This information will inform areawide …
California red scale (CRS) is one of the key pests for growers in the San Joaquin Valley, home to 75% of the state’s citrus production. CRS is a sap-sucking insect that attacks all parts of citrus trees. It causes dieback of branches, yield loss and downgrading of fruit. According to Sandipa Gautam, University of California assistant research entomologist at the …
Although HLB has not yet been detected in a commercial citrus grove in California, growers have been provided with voluntary best management practices to limit the spread of HLB and the psyllids that transmit the disease. A study conducted by researchers at University of California (UC) Davis and UC Riverside, in collaboration with the Citrus Research Board, examined citrus growers’ …
The recent annual report from California’s Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) offered insights into ways the state’s citrus industry has kept HLB out of commercial groves. Jim Gorden, chair of the group’s Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee, stated that the California industry has “invested countless hours, leveraged millions of dollars and created dozens of innovative partnerships” in …
Shifting consumer trends have helped dictate which varieties are most popular among California citrus growers. Bruce Babcock, professor in the School of Public Policy at University of California, Riverside, explained that over the past 15 years or so, there have been some notable changes in California citrus acreage. “What we’ve seen is just explosive growth in acreage devoted to mandarins. …
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) is offering agricultural scholarships to high school and college students looking to pursue careers in the industry. Over the last 25 years, the CCM Scholarship Foundation has awarded a total of $80,000 to 59 students. Casey Creamer, CCM president and CEO, said that supporting the next generation of agriculturalists is crucial for overall industry longevity. Having …
