citrus

Citrus Nutrition Box Program Yielding Results

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Industry News Release, Nutrition

(UF/IFAS) — A recent program encouraging Florida citrus growers to learn more about the nutrient management of their groves is yielding promising results. Nearly 200 growers and industry representatives attended four workshops in late 2019 to learn about the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Nutrition Box program. UF/IFAS faculty distributed 117 free boxes of …

graft

Some Scions Incompatible With US-1283 Rootstock

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Rootstocks

By Kim D. Bowman and Ute Albrecht The US-1283 rootstock was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2014, based on field performance with Hamlin 1-4-1 sweet orange in trials at two different locations in Florida severely affected by huanglongbing disease. One of these trials was in St. Lucie County and of 14 years duration, while the second …

extension

New UF/IFAS Citrus Extension Agent

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release, Research

(UF/IFAS) — When you meet Ajia Paolillo, you might think that everything old is new again. That’s because Paolillo, the new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF/IFAS) citrus agent for DeSoto, Hardee and Manatee counties, leans heavily on the experience of faculty colleagues from previous experiences.  “I learned so much working with Stephen Futch, Bill …

orange juice

Senate Wants Orange Juice to Flow Again

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Legislative, Orange Juice

(NSF) — Travelers might again get a free cup of Florida’s homegrown beverage when they cross the state line, through funding tucked in the Senate’s proposed budget. But helping the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) bring back free orange juice could hinge on a bigger debate, as the operations of state welcome centers remain locked in a legislative battle about …

budget

Budget Proposals Brought Into Citrus Legal Fight

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

(NSF) — Attorneys for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Wednesday alerted the Florida Supreme Court that new legislative budget proposals include more than $19 million to address a legal battle over the state cutting down Lee County homeowners’ healthy citrus trees. Fried’s office took the battle to the Supreme Court after the 2nd District Court of Appeal ordered the …

trained

Trained Dogs Are the Most Efficient Way to Hunt Citrus Industry’s Biggest Threat

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, HLB Management, Industry News Release

(USDA/ARS) — Dogs specially trained by Agriculture Research Service (ARS) scientists have proven to be the most efficient way to detect huanglongbing— also known as citrus greening — according to a paper just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Currently, the only solid hope of curtailing the spread of citrus greening is to eliminate trees with the …

citrus

Fried Points to Lawmakers on Citrus Tree Payments

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

(NSF) — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s department says it wants to pay millions of dollars to Lee County homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to thwart citrus-canker disease. But first, the Legislature has to fork over the money. That was a key argument Friday by attorneys for the Florida Department of Agriculture and …

Peace River Citrus Products Announces Expansion

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

Juice manufacturer enters expanded 10-year strategic relationship with Coca-Cola North America. Peace River Citrus Products, Inc., an independent and privately owned Florida-based citrus processor, announced plans for a $98 million expansion at its citrus processing facility in Bartow. The new 320,000-square-foot facility expansion is expected to create up to 175 jobs in Polk County and be completed in early 2022. …

citrus production

Fried on Florida Citrus Production Update

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast, Grapefruit, Industry News Release

(FDACS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service has released an updated Florida citrus production estimate for the 2019-20 crop year, forecasting a 10 percent increase for Florida grapefruit and predicting that Florida orange production will hold steady at 74 million boxes. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement: “Today’s updated citrus forecast is encouraging. It’s a direct …

claus

Mr. Claus Granted Movement Permit in United States

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

(USDA) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a movement permit to Mr. S. Nicholas Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited. The permit will allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 7 p.m. Dec. 24 and 7 a.m. Dec. 25 through or …

citrus

Stay Sought in Citrus Tree Appeal

Daniel CooperCitrus, Citrus Greening, financial, Industry News Release

(NSF) — The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services wants the Florida Supreme Court to put on hold a legal battle about payments to Lee County homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were cut down amid an effort to halt the spread of citrus-canker disease. The department on Wednesday filed a motion for a stay, after taking the long-running case to the Supreme Court last …

orange juice

Citrus Industry ‘Pretty Close to a Cliff’

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Orange Juice

(NSF) — State lawmakers and citrus growers expressed a need Tuesday to entice people to drink more orange juice and for citrus importers to help in the marketing of Florida’s struggling signature crop. After 15 years of fighting the impacts of hurricanes, citrus greening disease, a reduction in acres because of the state’s rapid growth and changes in drinking habits, …

citrus

State Appeals Ruling on Citrus Tree Payments

Daniel CooperCitrus, financial, Industry News Release

(NSF) — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has gone to the state Supreme Court after lower courts ordered payment of more than $13.6 million to Lee County homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were cut down amid an effort to halt the spread of citrus-canker disease. The department has filed a notice of appeal that is a first step in asking the …

nominations

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees Chosen for 2020

Daniel CooperAwards, Industry News Release

(FCHOF) — The Selection Committee for the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame has announced three distinguished leaders who will be inducted into the hall of fame during the 57th Citrus Celebration Luncheon. Frank E. Gardner (deceased), formerly of Orlando; John M. Kennedy, Sr. (deceased), formerly of Umatilla; and Karick Price, Sr. (deceased), formerly of Orlando, will be honored at the …

citrus

Citrus Growers Can Call for Frost Protection Information

Daniel Coopercold protection, Industry News Release

(UF/IFAS) — Just one freeze could cripple much of Florida’s citrus crop. It happened 30 years ago. Chris Oswalt, a multi-county commercial citrus agent for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension, remembers the frost-bitten evenings. Christmas 1983, January 1985 and Christmas 1989 marked three of the worst citrus freezes in the state’s history. Even though …

orange juice

Reps. Yoho, Soto Call on USDA to Stabilize Florida Orange Juice Market

Daniel CooperCitrus, hurricane, Industry News Release, Orange Juice

Reps. Ted. S Yoho (FL-03) and Darren Soto (FL-09) led a bipartisan letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting the U.S. Department of Agriculture increase funding for orange juice purchases in Florida to $90 million, doubling the initial allocation from this past summer.  After Hurricane Irma, Florida orange production dropped precipitously from 68.7 million boxes in 2017 to 45 million boxes …

georgia citrus

Georgia Introduces New Satsuma Brand

Daniel CooperCitrus, Georgia, Industry News Release

(GDA) — Just in time for the holidays, shoppers can now add the Georgia citrus brand, Besties™ to their grocery lists. This month more than 1 million pounds of Georgia Grown satsuma mandarin oranges are going to market in major retailers, including Publix, Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods. “Georgia has a great history of branding agricultural commodities into household names,” …

Citrus Commission Rejects Tax Hike for Marketing

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida Citrus Commission, Industry News Release

(NSF) — Small growers of Florida’s signature crop, expressing concerns about the future of the citrus industry, indicated a willingness Wednesday to pay a higher tax rate if it gets people to drink more orange juice. But the Florida Citrus Commission rejected a proposal to raise from 7 cents to 12 cents a per-box tax on oranges that growers pay …

orange juice

Three Appointed to the Florida Citrus Commission

Daniel CooperFlorida Citrus Commission, Industry News Release

(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Paul Meador, Steve Johnson and William “Bill” Poulton to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC). The FCC is dedicated to overseeing and guiding the activities of the Florida Department of Citrus, conducting a variety of industry programs and regulating the quality standards of citrus grown in Florida. Paul Meador Meador, of Fort …

court

Court Says State Should Pay in Citrus Fight

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

(NSF) — In a legal battle that started in 2003, an appeals court Wednesday upheld a ruling that directed the state to pay more than $13.6 million to Lee County homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were cut down amid an effort to halt the spread of citrus-canker disease. A panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected arguments that …