citrus production

Dumping of Brazilian and Mexican Juice Causes Southern Gardens to Cease Processing Citrus

Tacy CalliesProcessing

A flood of foreign imported orange juice was the deciding factor. Southern Gardens Citrus Processing Corporation announced today that it will no longer process fruit at its facility in Hendry County, Florida.  Beginning with the 2019-20 season, Southern Gardens will have its fruit processed at another facility and bring that juice back to its facility in Hendry County for storage …

dorian

Millions in Agricultural Crops at Risk as Dorian Approaches Florida

Daniel CooperCitrus, Grapefruit, hurricane, Industry News Release, Weather

GIf Hurricane Dorian makes landfall mid-way up Florida’s Atlantic Coast – as many models predicted Thursday afternoon – the storm could devastate not only Central Florida tourist destinations, but also the region’s agricultural areas, which include significant acreage devoted to citrus, vegetable, ornamental plant and cattle production. Economists and Extension faculty with the University of Florida Institute of Food and …

planting

CUPS Research in Indian River Area

Ernie NeffCUPS

Research into citrus under protective screen (CUPS) in the Indian River area was discussed by students of Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi at the Florida State Horticultural Society meeting in June. The project at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) grows grapefruit, the citrus of most economic importance in the Indian River region. Ferrarezi, a University of Florida Institute of …

scott

Update on Hurricane Irma Financial Assistance

Tacy Calliesfinancial, hurricane

By Mike Sparks It’s been a challenging year since Hurricane Irma struck. We understand the frustration with the lag in getting hurricane relief to growers and realize the urgency of the situation. With that said, we have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) applications and payments for …

Strong Finish for 2017–18 Brazilian Citrus Season

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves The last Fundecitrus announcement (April 10) of the season for the Brazilian citrus crop was 398.35 million boxes. This includes: 77.48 million boxes of Hamlin, Westin and Rubi 18.02 million boxes of Valencia Americana and Valencia Argentina 118.47 million boxes of Pera Rio 139.62 million boxes of Valencia 44.76 million boxes of Natal (Navel) SEASON SUMMARY …

Commissioner Putnam Releases Initial Hurricane Damage Estimate

Abbey TaylorIndustry News Release, Weather

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has released an initial estimate on agriculture damage from Hurricane Irma. The estimate will serve as a baseline for policymakers as they create a disaster relief package for those impacted by the storm. Although these estimates are not final, they are a starting point. The document includes estimates on crop loss and cost of damages. …

psyllids

Asian Citrus Psyllid Alert: Post-Irma Control Needed

Tacy CalliesPsyllids

By Phil Stansly Impact on Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations: Psyllids that survived the storm will find plenty of food thanks to a huge flush that is following defoliation from the hurricane. This and almost ideal temperature conditions will spawn an explosion of ACP, starting with the first post-Irma generation less than three weeks after the storm. By five weeks and …

Putnam: Hurricane Relief Requires ‘Act of Congress’

Ernie Neffhurricane

Federal assistance for citrus growers in the wake of Hurricane Irma will be more problematic than following past hurricanes, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam told the Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday. He explains why and updates reports about damage to the citrus crop. “The simple change from 2004-05 is that Congress in the intervening years has taken away the discretion …

scott

Hurricane Damage Reports Needed from Citrus Growers

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Legislative, Water

Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, reports that his association is working with state and federal officials on a financial assistance program to support losses to the Florida citrus crop from Hurricane Irma. “We have been in constant communication with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), as well as the Florida Department of Citrus …

Preparing for and Recovering from a Hurricane

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Weather

By Mongi Zekri, Bob Rouse and Jonathan Crane Hurricane preparation for citrus growers this year is the same drill as every year. Each year, growers look forward to the rainy season to help their young trees grow fast and their mature trees produce good crops. This year, growers will be praying for good distribution of rains following a year of …

Global Perspectives

Economic Hurricane Hitting Orange Juice Chain

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves We are normally threatened by natural storms hitting the orange juice chain, some of them hurricanes. Matthew was the last one, but fortunately it remained off the coast of Florida rather than directly hitting the orange-production area. However, the orange juice chain is facing a storm — an economic hurricane that is complicating supply and demand. …

dorian

Post-Hurricane: Some Fruit Drop on River; Interior Mostly OK

Ernie NeffGrapefruit, Weather

Heavy winds from Hurricane Matthew Friday caused some fruit drop in the Indian River citrus area. But the amount of drop was “not catastrophic,” said Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows. “The fact that it stayed offshore helped tremendously,” Meadows said. Some Indian River growers and packers told Mutual that in addition to fruit drop, there will likely be some …

roots

The Relationship Between Roots and OTC Treatments

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Root health

Back in the early days of the HLB fight, it was observed that what is going on underground in citrus tree root systems is just as important as what is happening aboveground. In 2013, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service researchers published that 27% to 40% root loss due …

greening

Moving Beyond Greening

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, Economics

By Tom Spreen When citrus greening was first discovered in Florida, it did not have a profound impact on production. The big news at that time was the multiple hurricanes that had crossed Florida in 2004 and 2005. The hurricanes served to spread citrus canker so sufficiently that the state of Florida was forced to abandon its efforts to eradicate …

Alico

Alico Grove Transitions and Transactions

Daniel CooperLand

Alico, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer John Kiernan recently discussed several Alico citrus grove transitions and transactions. Here are some of his comments that were included in an announcement of the company’s financial results for the period ending March 31.  “To be clear, Alico will continue to conduct our regular citrus operations at nearly all of our groves for …

alico

Alico Disappointed and Frustrated With Production

Daniel CooperProduction

Alico, Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 and the six months ended March 31, 2024. Revenues of $32.1 million for the six-month period were relatively flat as compared to $31.9 million for the same period last year. BOXES AND POUND SOLIDS Alico harvested approximately 1.2 million boxes (second quarter) and 2.2 million boxes (six-month …

consumers

Florida OJ Has Solid Share of Consumers

Daniel CooperFlorida, Orange Juice, Research

A significant portion of consumers are drawn to Florida orange juice (OJ) despite recent economic setbacks, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows.  “There is an intrinsic value that consumers have for Florida orange juice. When they think of Florida, orange juice is often part of the imagery,” said Marisa Zansler, director of economic …

grapefruit

Global Grapefruit Production to Rise

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Global grapefruit production in 2023–24 is estimated up slightly from the prior year to 6.9 million tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. A slight increase in China more than offset lower production in South Africa. World exports of grapefruit are projected to increase while fruit for processing is forecast to be lower. Here are …

Peace River Valley

Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association Ceases Operations

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida

Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association (PRVCGA) is ending its 31-year run. After much consideration and deliberation, the association’s board of directors announced the decision to close down in a letter released Feb. 12 by Executive Director Emma Keller. The letter stated that the tough decision to close the association “comes after facing numerous challenges that have significantly impacted our …