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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Industry News Release”
by Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida Despite clear frustrations of some justices, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday declined to invalidate Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of $37.4 million that lawmakers approved to compensate homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were cut down by the state more than a decade ago. The ruling pointed to circuit court cases in Broward and …
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida The final forecast of the 2016-2017 season for Florida’s struggling citrus industry shows the orange crop falling 16 percent from the previous season — which, itself, had been at a five-decades low. And after a season of severe drought, combined with the continued fight against a deadly citrus disease and the expansion of …
by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences In the same year the University of Florida’s (UF) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) celebrates its 100th anniversary, Nian Wang believes he may be close to finding the “off switch” for greening, the disease devastating Florida’s multi-billion-dollar-a-year citrus industry. Wang, an associate professor of microbiology and cell sciences …
from News Service of Florida Florida’s top court needs to decide this week on Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of $37.4 million in compensation to homeowners that had healthy citrus trees cut down by the state, attorneys challenging the veto argued in documents filed Tuesday. The class-action lawsuit, filed last week, involves homeowners in Broward and Lee counties who won judgments …
from: News Service of Florida The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday gave Gov. Rick Scott’s administration until noon on Monday to respond to a lawsuit challenging the governor’s veto of $37.4 million intended to go to residents whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to eradicate the citrus canker disease. The Supreme Court set the deadline …
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida The Florida Department of Citrus plans to continue to squeeze its operations during the coming year as the industry struggles, though travelers will still be able to receive free orange juice at state welcome centers. The Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the department, approved a preliminary $17.5 million operating budget Wednesday that would …
News Service of Florida Homeowners and their lawyers asked the Florida Supreme Court late Tuesday to overturn Gov. Rick Scott’s decision this month to veto $37.4 million intended for residents whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to eradicate the citrus canker disease. Lawmakers included the money in the 2017-2018 budget to compensate residents of Broward …
A plant disease that presents a serious threat to the U.S. citrus industry has been detected in Alabama. Federal and state plant health officials have confirmed the identification of citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing or HLB, which is caused by the bacterial pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. This is the first confirmation of citrus greening in Alabama despite biannual surveys …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced up to $8.85 million available for cooperative agreements for risk management education and training programs. The funding provides resources for organizations such as universities, county cooperative Extension offices and nonprofit organizations to develop training and education tools to help growers learn how to effectively manage long-term risks and challenges. …
by Lloyd Dunkelberger News Service of Florida Former state Rep. Baxter Troutman entered the race for state agriculture commissioner on Monday, priming his Republican bid for a Cabinet seat with $2.5 million of his own money. “For two decades, I’ve been building a business and continuing my work in Florida agriculture,” Troutman, of Winter Haven, said in a statement. “Real …
By Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialist Adversity isn’t a stranger to Florida citrus growers. Throughout Florida’s history of citrus production, producers have dealt with damages left in the wake of multiple hurricanes and freezes. Larry Black is a fifth-generation citrus grower and general manager of Peace River Packing Company in Polk County, Florida. His family has been a part …
by Brad Buck, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences While citrus greening disease has blemished the Florida industry, University of Florida scientists have developed a mandarin hybrid that seems to be winning the battle. Now, researchers are learning what makes this fruit a fighter. University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have discovered that a mandarin …
by Brad Buck University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Florida weather is unpredictable. While you cannot control the weather, you can use UF/IFAS-developed weather databases to improve farming, home irrigation and flood control. Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have written a new Extension document that summarizes several weather data …
By Dara Kam and Lloyd Dunkelberger The News Service of Florida Ending months of speculation, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam filed papers Monday to run for governor in 2018. The Republican’s entree into the race to succeed Gov. Rick Scott, forced to leave office next year because of term limits, was little more than a formality. Putnam, a former congressman …
This year’s Annual Planning Meeting, hosted by Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) brought members from across the United States and Western Cape together to review sales and marketing plans, production volumes, shipping schedules and category trends to support the 2017 season. Seald Sweet International’s Mayda Sotomayor opened the planning sessions by introducing the growers, importers, retailers, marketing team and …
As the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) celebrates its 100th anniversary, administrators are praising a decades-long relationship between researchers with CREC and the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). “Housing the FDOC and CREC scientists at the same location has brought together the expertise needed to address any issue facing the …
The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) has named Phil Rucks of Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery in Frostproof its Outstanding Volunteer Member of the year. During a very challenging time for the citrus nursery industry, Rucks has been a key leader within FNGLA’s Citrus Nursery Division. He spearheaded the construction of a citrus research greenhouse at the Mid-Florida Research …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will evaluate the environmental impacts that may result from the potential approval of a permit application from Southern Gardens Citrus Nursery, LLC, for the environmental release of genetically engineered (GE) Citrus tristeza virus (CTV). Southern Gardens’ purpose …
The Florida Department of Citrus is hoping for a better second half of the growing season after the latest decline in projections for the state’s orange and grapefruit harvest. Meanwhile, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said a 4 percent drop from February to March in the forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is another sign of the effects of deadly …
By Sara LaJeunesse, Penn State University A chemical that is thought to be safe and is, therefore, widely used on crops — such as almonds, wine grapes and tree fruits — to boost the performance of pesticides, makes honey bee larvae significantly more susceptible to a deadly virus, according to researchers at Penn State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. …
