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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Citrus”
By Peter Chaires Florida’s fresh-packing segment is in a significant period of transition. The freezes of the 1980s caused substantial southward movement of citrus production and the loss of supply to most packinghouses in the northern regions. During this time, urban expansion and construction booms were also depleting acreage that supplied fresh houses. The early battles against citrus canker eliminated …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its monthly citrus crop forecast for the 2017-2018 season: “Florida’s citrus growers are still recovering from Hurricane Irma’s unprecedented damage, which the March forecast shows is still unfolding in many groves six months later. Thankfully, Congress recently provided more than …
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) took to the Senate floor late Monday afternoon to urge the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture to immediately release the disaster funding approved by Congress in February to help Floridians who are still recovering from Hurricane Irma. “It has been almost six months since Hurricane Irma struck Florida, and it’s been about …
Farmers and other parts of Florida’s agriculture industry could receive about $75 million in post-Hurricane Irma assistance from the state next year under a measure moving forward in the Senate. The Senate Finance and Tax Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday unanimously backed the proposal (SB 1608) by Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring. The proposal, in part, would reduce property assessments …
The Georgia Citrus Association will hold its second annual conference on Feb. 26 at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, has high hopes for a successful event. Savelle says that while the first conference went well, the second conference will be even better. “We listened to what the comments were …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a spending bill that includes more than $2.3 billion for agricultural assistance: “The passage of this spending bill is a critical first step to finally getting Florida’s farmers, ranchers and growers long-awaited and desperately needed relief. Without this emergency assistance, …
By Robin Koestoyo, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences An inventive fruit tree researcher has joined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center. Lorenzo Rossi is the center’s first-ever root biology professor and will support the university’s statewide Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ commitment to restore Florida’s $9 …
With citrus greening devastating Florida’s $8.6 billion-a-year citrus industry, three University of Florida scientists will use $10.52 million in federal grants to study ways to help growers cope with the disease, including research on genetic editing that may produce potentially resistant fruit and trees. Since greening — or huanglongbing (HLB) — was first reported in Florida in 2005, Florida’s citrus …
The Florida Department of Citrus adjusted its budget Wednesday for the second time this growing season, as leaders of the storm-battered industry hold out hope the U.S. Senate will approve a disaster-relief package. The Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the department, agreed to shift more than $70,000 out of administration, scientific-research and global-marketing budgets to cover an anticipated drop in …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced awards to combat citrus greening disease. The funding to support research and Extension programs is made through the emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (CDRE). CDRE was authorized as part of the 2014 Farm Bill. “The need to advance research and Extension to develop management …
Allen Morris has been directly involved with the citrus industry since 1984. He has seen many ups and downs in the industry during this time. Now, he is ready to face the current citrus challenges head on. Morris is the owner and operator of Morris Agribusiness Services. In the past, he held events called the International Citrus Economics Conference. Along …
The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet will take place Feb. 13 in Tampa. This event will honor the 2018 inductees to the hall of fame. Four agricultural leaders have been chosen to enter the hall of fame this year. They are Alfonso Fanjul, J. Pepe Fanjul, Lowell Loadholtz and Harold K. Mikell. These four men have dedicated their lives …
Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, provides the following update on hurricane disaster relief legislation: This was another busy week in Washington. The industry, led by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, spent two days working with the Florida delegation and Congressional leaders in an attempt to find a path forward for disaster relief legislation. There is more …
Federal relief for Florida citrus growers cleared the U.S. House on Thursday, but its fate remained unclear in the Senate, which may not take up the package until January. Before the House vote, leaders separated an $81 billion disaster-relief package that includes citrus money from a short-term funding resolution needed to keep the government open through mid-January. The move drew …
An increase in imported orange juice is anticipated by the Florida Citrus Commission to offset a decline in tax revenue from the state’s hurricane-battered growers, who await congressional action on disaster relief. The commission — during a brief conference call Wednesday — agreed to shift $556,147 from reserves to help cover the Department of Citrus’ budget for the current fiscal …
Florida’s storm-battered citrus growers are closer to landing federal relief sought since Hurricane Irma devastated large parts of the state’s agriculture industry in September. The U.S. House on Wednesday will consider providing $2.6 billion for lost farm crops as part of an $81 billion disaster-relief package, which has been attached to the latest short-term “continuing resolution” needed to keep the …
A proposal aimed at helping citrus growers replant after Hurricane Irma is included in a federal tax overhaul that could be approved this week by Congress, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., said Monday. The proposal, sponsored by Buchanan and backed by Florida’s congressional delegation, would provide tax incentives for farmers who cannot afford to replace trees damaged by the storm …
Gov. Rick Scott spent part of Friday on the phone talking about federal disaster relief amid continuing worries about the storm-ravaged citrus industry. Scott tweeted that his calls with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan included talk of hurricane relief. “I spoke with @GovAbbott this morning about the ongoing recovery in FL and TX from Hurricanes …
No “plan B” is available if Congress does not add citrus funding to the latest disaster relief package, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Wednesday. A day after the U.S. Department of Agriculture further reduced a forecast of the post-Hurricane Irma orange harvest, Putnam reiterated the need for federal assistance to the struggling industry, which could see damages from the …
Two distinguished leaders will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame (FCHOF) during the 56th Citrus Celebration Luncheon on Friday, March 9, 2018, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. L. Gene Albrigo, of Daytona Shores, and Marvin D. Kahn, of Sebring, will be honored at the luncheon, scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. Gene Albrigo has led …
