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Egypt Orange Production on the Rise

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

Orange production in Egypt is forecast at 3.6 million metric tons (MMT) in 2022–23, an increase of almost 20% compared to the prior season’s 3 MMT. The increase is attributed to optimal weather conditions and temperatures during flowering of the trees, which increased fruit set. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).  …

Marginal Growth for South Africa Grapefruit Crop

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, Grapefruit, International

South Africa is forecast to produce 385,000 metric tons (MT) of grapefruit in 2022–23, up marginally from an expected 380,000 MT the prior year. The forecast is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).  AREA PLANTEDThe grapefruit planted area in South Africa grew by almost 25% over the past seven years. However, grapefruit area is expected …

Oak Mulch Can Improve Florida Flatwoods Soil

Tacy CalliesSoil Improvement, Tip of the Week

By Lorenzo Rossi With no cure for HLB available, searching for alternative mitigation strategies is an urgent priority for a sustainable citrus industry. Interest has grown regarding the use of organic amendments to improve the fertility of Florida native soils. Although hardwood mulch applications have been demonstrated to improve both tree health and soil fertility in other fruit industries, little …

Japan’s mandarin

Morocco Mandarin Production to Tumble

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, Mandarins

Morocco’s tangerine and mandarin production for marketing year 2022–23 is expected to fall to 900,000 metric tons (MT), a 34% decline from the previous season’s 1.36 million metric tons. The forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) blames the decline on heat stress, water scarcity and increased input costs. Many orchards in the Berkane region …

Pest Management Workshop for Florida

Josh McGillEvents, Pest Management

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will hold a workshop on citrus insect, mite and nematode management Jan. 19 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Presentations will be made by UF/IFAS faculty members. UF/IFAS pointed out that pest management in citrus …

Celebrating 50 Years of Growth

Josh McGillSponsored Content

Chemical Dynamics is a leading provider of crop nutrition solutions, focused on helping farmers grow specialty crops in Florida, the Southeast and across the US. Our company was founded in 1973 by W.B. “Hap” Carson in Plant City, FL and has been a family-owned and operated business for three generations. For the past 50 years, we have developed a diverse …

Australia Fresh Orange Production to Dip

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

Australia fresh orange production of 505,000 metric tons (MT) is forecast for marketing year 2022–23. That’s a 6% decrease from 535,000 MT in 2021–22, when production was the highest since 2004–05. The forecast was reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).  PRODUCTION AREASThe major orange production areas in Australia are in the southern temperate climate …

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Orange Crop Outlook for Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The total Brazilian orange crop for marketing year 2022–23 is forecast at 405 million boxes (MB), a reduction of 10 MB compared to the previous season. The commercial area in the state of São Paulo and the western part of Minas Gerais should account for 305 MB, a drop of 3% from the prior year.  Production from other states is …

Chile Lemon Production to Bounce Back

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, lemons

Lemon production in Chile is forecast to bounce back to 200,000 metric tons in 2022–23 after decreasing by 30% in 2021–22 to 140,000 metric tons. The forecast was part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service’s (USDA FAS) annual citrus report for Chile. Chile produces lemons in the summer months between December and March for the domestic market …

South African

South African Orange Crop to Increase

Josh McGillInternational, Oranges

South African orange production is forecast to grow 3% in 2022–23, to almost 1.7 million metric tons (MMT), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).  PLANTED AREA AND CULTIVARSOranges represent approximately 47% of South Africa’s 100,000 hectares of citrus orchards. Orange acreage grew by almost 14% over the past seven years. The Limpopo province is …

Promotions Aid OJ Sales

Josh McGillFlorida Department of Citrus, Marketing, Orange Juice

The demand for orange juice (OJ) would decline by 11.3% without the awareness produced by Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) promotional activities, the Florida Citrus Commission was told in December. Marisa Zansler, FDOC economic and market research director, delivered that message in summarizing a recent report by Lisa House, chair of the University of Florida’s Food and Resource Economics Department. …

mandarin

Techniques Tested on Mandarins in CUPS

Josh McGillCUPS, Mandarins, Tip of the Week

By Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi and Mark A. Ritenour Two independent trials were conducted under a commercial citrus under protective screen (CUPS) system. The first trial was to investigate canopy management strategies to improve fruit yield and quality of mandarins. Canopy management is essential for CUPS since the environment stimulates vigorous vegetative growth, posing operational challenges to mechanization that can be …

Preparing for Implementation of Agricultural Water Requirements

Josh McGillFood Safety, Water

By Taylor O’Bannon, Matt Krug and Michelle Danyluk In December 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its proposed changes to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) Subpart E, which covers agricultural water. The proposed changes focus solely on preharvest agricultural water and make no changes to the requirement of water used for harvest and …

Preparing for Freezing Temperatures

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast, freeze

With temperatures plummeting over Christmas weekend, the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast is well timed. Chris Oswalt, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus Extension agent covering Polk and Hillsborough counties, joined the podcast to discuss tips on preparing for freeze events. Oswalt encouraged growers to find a reliable source of …

Alico Issues Sustainability Summary

Josh McGillIndustry News Release

Alico, Inc. recently summarized its second sustainability report. President and Chief Executive Officer John Kiernan said the company over the past year has delivered environmental, social and governance (ESG) promises made in its first sustainability report in 2021. He cited the following as some of Alico’s notable accomplishments: “Our goal with this report is to make it easier for our …

Bugs Under the Covers

Josh McGillIPCs, Pest Management

Individual protective covers (IPCs) do an excellent job keeping HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) out of young citrus trees, showing a 99.6% reduction in ACP compared to control trees. But they don’t provide “one and done” pest control, according to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock. In fact, IPCs “create a perfect environment …

Federal Omnibus Deal Fails to Include Farm Labor Act

Josh McGillLabor, Legislative

On Dec. 22, the U.S. Senate passed the omnibus appropriations bill. The $1.7 trillion measure would fund the federal government through the remainder of 2023. The measure now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote to avoid a government shutdown on the evening of Dec. 23. Much to the dismay of farm groups nationwide, the Senate Affordable …

Record Lemon Crop Expected in Part of Australia

Josh McGillInternational, lemons

Record numbers of lemons are expected to be harvested in Far North Queensland (FNQ) this summer, helping the Australian industry achieve its goal of supplying Australian lemons year-round. Increased numbers of lemons are also expected from central and southern Queensland. The projected record summer crop is a result of expansion in the FNQ citrus industry and good weather. “We have …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Doing Together What Cannot Be Done Alone

Josh McGillPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Frank Sullivan III, of Sullivan Victory Groves, recently gave me a few boxes of his gift fruit catalogs, books, records and memorabilia for the Citrus Archives. Since December always reminds me of sending gift fruit to friends and family, it’s only appropriate that I share this story. One of the items he donated was a booklet …

Research Center Gets Largest Gift From Grower

Josh McGillIndian River

The late citrus grower John T. Moose left the largest individual gift ever to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS IRREC) in Fort Pierce. The $260,000 contribution came in 2022, the same year as the center’s 75th anniversary. The gift will help serve local agriculture and natural resources protection …