Packinghouse Day

Packinghouse Day in Florida Is Sept. 12

Daniel CooperEvents, Packing

Fresh fruit growers, packers and researchers will meet for the 2024 Packinghouse Day on Sept. 12 in Lake Alfred, Florida. The annual event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and the event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event …

sweet orange scab

Sweet Orange Scab Requirements Revised

Daniel CooperDiseases, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) recently revised sweet orange scab (SOS) requirements. APHIS revised the conditions for the interstate movement of citrus nursery stock (CNS) and updated the inspection requirements for CNS to be eligible for shipment. The federal order also updates the APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Elsinoë australis, Causal Agent of Sweet …

citrus acreage

Drop in Florida Citrus Acreage

Daniel CooperAcreage, Florida

The 2024 Commercial Citrus Inventory for Florida shows total citrus acreage of 274,705 acres, down 17% from the 2023 annual survey. The net loss of 57,551 acres is 14,505 acres more than was lost the previous year. New plantings at 4,751 acres are down from 2023, when 6,203 acres were planted. The inventory was released Aug. 29 by the U.S. …

Specialty Crop Block Grant

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Funds Citrus Projects

Daniel CooperHLB Management, nursery, Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awarded 54 grants and 524 sub-award projects totaling $72.9 million for fiscal year 2024. The following citrus projects were included in the funding. CALIFORNIA The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) received a grant for $448,742 for mitigating huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus using naturally-derived …

registration

HLB Product Advancing in Registration Process

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Regulation

Silvec Biologics announced that an RNA vector delivery product to combat HLB has progressed to the Full Science Review Phase of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pesticide Regulation Improvement Act registration process. The product was developed in collaboration with Southern Gardens Citrus (a subsidiary of U. S. Sugar), the University of Florida (UF) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Silvec is …

Mexfly

Mexfly Quarantine Actions Affect Texas Citrus

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state agriculture officials took several actions this month regarding Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) have: BROWNSVILLE Establishment of the Brownsville quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on July 26 of Mexfly larvae in citrus …

citrus black spot

Citrus Black Spot Policies for Florida Modified

Daniel CooperDiseases, Florida, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) recently modified the policies and requirements for the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. Modifications address the movement of regulated articles and provide a protocol to remove areas from the CBS quarantine. This federal order updates the APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Phyllosticta citricarpa, Causal Agent …

Oriental fruit fly

Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Removed

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

Federal and state officials on Aug. 11 removed the Oriental fruit fly quarantine in California’s Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This action releases the remaining 365 square miles of the quarantine, which contained 1,800 acres of commercial agriculture. Release from quarantine occurred after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection, based on a degree-day model. The U.S. …

pectin

Improved Pectin From Orange Peels

Daniel CooperResearch

U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) scientists have developed a high-quality and inexpensive pectin that can successfully gel in low-sugar products and still be scalable for commercial production. Pectin, a soluble fiber used mainly for gelling food products like jams and jellies, is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Most commercial pectins are from citrus fruit peels …

acreage

Changes in California Citrus Acreage

Daniel CooperAcreage, California Corner

The 2024 California Citrus Acreage Report indicates that acreage for five varieties increased from 2022 to 2024 while acreage for the state’s two orange varieties decreased during the same period. INCREASES The increases were in: DECREASES Navel oranges declined from 113,586 acres in 2022 to 112,366 acres in 2024. Valencia orange acres dipped from 26,225 to 25,297 acres for the …

fruit fly

Winning the Fruit Fly Fight

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation

Federal and state agriculture officials recently removed several fruit fly quarantines in Texas and California. TEXAS On July 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Sullivan City, Hidalgo County. This action releases 68 square miles from quarantine. There was …

2024-25

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: What’s on Tap for 2024–25

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source

By Peter Chaires The New Varieties Development and Management Corp. (NVDMC) has awarded funding to citrus projects for the 2024–25 season. Exciting things are happening in crop transformation, but significant progress is also being made in conventional breeding. The NVDMC board continues to support conventional breeding projects, each with a focus on near-term results, while still setting a foundation for …

global

Global Citrus Crops on the Rise

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Global production of tangerines/mandarins, grapefruit and lemons/limes is expected to climb in 2023–24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported in its Citrus: World Markets and Trade publication.  TANGERINES/MANDARINS Global tangerine/mandarin production for 2023–24 is estimated up 1.2 million tons to 38.2 million tons. Here are expectations for major producing countries: GRAPEFRUIT Global grapefruit production in …

projections

Inclement Weather Cuts South African Orange Export Projections

Daniel CooperExport, International

The Orange Focus Group of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) on July 23 cut its projections for navel and Valencia orange exports in the 2024 season. NAVELS The projected number of 15-kilogram cartons of navel orange exports is now 21 million. That continues the downward trajectory that was started in May when the season-opening estimate of 25.7 …

hlb

Reasons to Believe HLB Is Beatable

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management

Growers gathered in Bonita Springs in mid-June for the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference. The event hosted by Florida Citrus Mutual drew a good crowd. The mood of growers was mixed. While there was hope that HLB trunk-injection therapies might have resulted in more dramatic improvements to this year’s crop, there also was recognition that these therapies represent one of …

global orange

Update on Global Orange and OJ Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Global orange production for 2023–24 is expected to rise slightly while orange juice (OJ) production dips. This forecast is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) Citrus: World Markets and Trade July report. ORANGES Global orange production for 2023–24 is estimated to rise 1% to 47.4 million tons. Lower production in Brazil and the European Union …

CUPS

CUPS Allows Profitable HLB-Free Citrus Production

Daniel CooperCUPS, Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) has invested more than $250 million to find a solution for HLB. One example of USDA NIFA-funded research is citrus under protective screen (CUPS).  University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientist Arnold Schumann and colleagues began testing CUPS at the Citrus Research and Education Center …

South African

South African Citrus Crops See Gains

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

South African grapefruit, tangerine/mandarin and lemon production are all projected to increase in 2023–24 compared to the prior year, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) semi-annual report. GRAPEFRUIT The 2023–24 forecast for grapefruit production is now 420,000 metric tons (MT), up from 415,000 MT the prior year. Of that, 202,000 MT is expected to …

crop insurance

Crop Insurance Options Expanded

Daniel Coopercrop insurance, Insurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding crop insurance options for some specialty and organic growers beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is allowing enterprise units (EUs) by organic farming practice, adding enterprise unit eligibility for several crops, and making additional policy updates. The following changes impacting citrus will be made beginning with the …

Oriental fruit fly

California Quarantine Updates

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

Federal and state officials have removed and reduced Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantines in two California counties and expanded the huanglongbing (HLB) quarantine in another county. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY On July 5, the …