crop forecast

Tree Assistance Program Tweaked to Help Citrus Growers

Tacy CalliesLegislative

By Michael W. Sparks Florida Citrus Mutual, the citrus industry and our Congressional delegation continue to work with Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam on obtaining federal relief payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for citrus groves damaged by Hurricane Irma. Once specifics are unveiled, we will get them to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I wanted …

Mexico

Overview of Mexico’s Citrus Industry

Ernie NeffMexico

Ricardo Martinez Zambrano, director of sales for North America with Citrofrut, summarizes a Mexican citrus industry report he delivered at the recent International Citrus Business Conference. Zambrano says oranges account for about 56 percent of Mexico’s total citrus production, but “there is no official source in Mexico that does the estimation.” An area of eastern Mexico has about 80 percent …

Herbicide Synergy for Citrus Weed Management

Tacy CalliesProduction, Research

By Ramdas Kanissery, Brent Sellers and Steve Futch Weed control is a major component of Florida citrus grove management. A warm, humid climate and frequent rainfall provide a conducive environment for prolific weed emergence and growth in citrus groves. Although there are several pre- and post-emergent herbicide products available for managing a diversity of citrus weeds, there is always an …

florida

Irma Agriculture Aid Slated to Start in Summer

Daniel CooperCitrus, hurricane, Industry News Release

A program to distribute federal disaster aid to Florida farmers hit by Hurricane Irma will be set up within the next 100 days, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Friday. “USDA (the U.S. Department of Agriculture) is working as quickly as possible to develop procedures and a system by which affected producers can access disaster assistance,” Perdue said in a …

orange juice

International OJ Market Sees Some Positives

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves The third Fundecitrus estimate of the season for the Brazilian orange crop on Feb. 11 was just shy of 400 million boxes. It is 3.13 percent larger than the last estimate in December, and 9 percent larger than the initial estimate published in May. Fruits are bigger and heavier, reaching 247 fruits per box. This is …

new york times

Calls Increase for Irma Aid to Flow to Farmers

Daniel CooperCitrus, hurricane, Industry News Release

Pressure is growing from Florida and other states as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to determine how to move forward with a disaster-relief package President Donald Trump signed in early February. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., joined colleagues from Texas, Louisiana and California this week in prodding U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue …

Current Considerations for Citrus Irrigation Management

Tacy CalliesIrrigation

Growers can use these tips and tools for trees impacted by HLB and Hurricane Irma. By Davie Kadyampakeni, Kelly Morgan, Mongi Zekri, Rhuanito Ferrarezi, Arnold Schumann and Thomas A. Obreza Water is a limiting factor in Florida citrus production during the majority of the year. This is because of the low water-holding capacity of sandy soils resulting from low clay …

rubio

Rubio Offers Hope for Farmers Hit by Irma

Daniel Cooperhurricane, Industry News Release

Federal disaster relief for farmers impacted by Hurricane Irma may be available “as early as next week,” according to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Monday’s update from Rubio’s office came after the Miami Republican spoke with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who had a similar conversation with Gov. Rick Scott Friday. Florida citrus farmers have expressed increasing frustration as they await …

growers

Citrus Growers Should Purchase Crop Insurance by April 15

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

By Michael W. Sparks The Hurricane Irma Florida citrus relief package is moving forward and Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) expect U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to unveil the program sometime in the next few weeks. FCM is in contact with our allies in Washington and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s staff on a daily basis. Once the news breaks, we …

Sneak Peek: April 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

Water is a key ingredient in achieving a healthy citrus crop, but too little or too much can be detrimental. Two articles in the April issue of Citrus Industry magazine address irrigation management. In the first article, growers will learn about irrigation scheduling methods and get production pointers for trees impacted by HLB and Hurricane Irma. The second article looks …

State of the Florida Citrus-Packing Segment

Tacy CalliesCitrus

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 …

Citrus Industry Priorities for the Next Farm Bill

Abbey TaylorLegislative

Crop insurance fixes and the continuation of research funding are top priorities for the citrus industry when it comes to developing the new farm bill. Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy with the United Fresh Produce Association, recently discussed these issues with AgNet Media Founder and President Gary Cooper. They spoke during the recent Crop Insurance Industry Convention …

citrus crop

Commissioner Adam H. Putnam on Updated Citrus Crop Forecast

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

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 …

nelson

Sen. Nelson Calls on Federal Agencies to Distribute Disaster Aid

Daniel CooperCitrus, hurricane, Industry News Release

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 …

fresh

Fresh Citrus Shipments Continue to Drop; CAC Elections Coming

Ernie NeffFresh

Fresh citrus shipments from Florida so far in the 2017–18 citrus season have fallen 37 percent below the previous season, reports Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC) Manager Duke Chadwell. “And that percentage has held true from the beginning of the season up until now,” he says. “However, I do anticipate as we move forward that that percentage is going to grow. …

marketing

HCCGA Discusses Disaster Relief Funding

Abbey Taylorhurricane, Legislative, Weather

After months of fighting for disaster relief funding, Florida agriculture finally received the answer it has been waiting to hear. On Feb. 9, a disaster relief package was passed through Congress that allocated $3.6 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with $2.36 billion going toward Florida agriculture producers who suffered hurricane-related crop loss. While this is good news for …

orange juice

Help for Florida Farmers Advancing in Senate

Daniel CooperCitrus, hurricane, Industry News Release

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 …

How Will Irma Affect Citrus Canker Management?

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Evan G. Johnson The citrus canker season is quickly approaching again, so it is time to start planning your canker management program to avoid fruit drop and fresh-market quality loss. It is easy to forget the importance of controlling citrus canker with the current state of HLB in Florida. However, citrus canker can cause almost complete crop loss if …

Outlook for Postbloom Fruit Drop

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan M. Dewdney, Tripti Vashisth and Ariel Singerman In 2017, the damage from postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was lower than the previous three years. This was mainly due to the low rainfall accumulation in late winter and early spring. The long bloom with relatively few flowers at any one time made the decision of when to apply a fungicide …

irrigation

Water and Nutrient Tips for HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Irrigation, Nutrition

  University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Davie Kadyampakeni offers water and nutrient management tips for HLB-affected trees. He was a presenter at a recent citrus nutrient management seminar in Immokalee hosted by multi-county citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri. The seminar drew approximately 60 people to the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Kadyampakeni’s tips include …