Funding for Asian citrus psyllid (ACP)/huanglongbing (HLB) programs and the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Division (CPDPD), an agency of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), were included in the 2020-2021 California budget. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the budget on June 29. The CPDPD, known also as the Citrus Division, utilizes state, federal and grower-generated funds to prevent …
APHIS Annual Report Highlights Citrus Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently released an annual report titled “Plant Protection and Quarantine: Helping U.S. Agriculture Thrive — Across the Country and Around the World.” The document includes updates on efforts to manage citrus diseases. “PPQ (Plant Protection and Quarantine) stands shoulder-to-shoulder with citrus growers to combat citrus canker, huanglongbing (HLB …
New California Face Mask Rules and Availability
In addition to California Division of Occupational Safety and Health face mask regulations, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued new mandates regarding face mask use in certain settings. WHEN TO WEAR A MASKFace masks are required whether or not members of the public are present in workplaces. The CDPH guidance also specifies that individuals engaged in work, …
CRB, CCM Asks Citrus Industry to Help Niland
The California Citrus Research Board (CRB) and California Citrus Mutual (CCM) are calling for help for the fire-ravaged town of Niland, near the Salton Sea in Southern California. Niland is a very small desert town that was home to many agricultural workers who worked in citrus groves in the region. One person died. Some 40 homes were destroyed, many more …
New Lighting Rules for California Agriculture
New nighttime lighting requirements have been set by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and take effect on July 1, 2020. The new standard, “Outdoor Agricultural Operations During Hours of Darkness,” was heavily modified from the original proposal based on information provided by the agricultural industry throughout the course of the rulemaking process. It applies to all …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Selling Citrus on the Honor System
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I recently came across a business reply card from Perrin & Thompson Groves of Winter Haven. I had heard of them since I grew up in Winter Haven but had never seen an advertisement like this one! The ad reads: “TRY THESE TREE-RIPENED ORANGES AND GRAPEFRUIT. Let us ship you on APPROVAL and at our expense …
June Citrus Forecast Sees Florida Oranges Fall
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released an update to the 2019–20 citrus crop forecast on June 11. ORANGESThe Florida all-orange forecast is 67.65 million boxes, down from May’s 69.65 million boxes. The forecast for Florida non-Valencia orange production remains at 29.65 million boxes. Florida Valencia oranges fell 5 percent to 38 million boxes. The California all-orange forecast is 48.5 million …
COVID-19 Hurts Texas Citrus
The COVID-19 pandemic that reduced food-service sales nationwide took a toll on some Texas citrus growers this season. MARKET DISRUPTION“Schools and restaurants make up a significant percentage of sales for Texas citrus,” said Dale Murden, a grower and president of Texas Citrus Mutual. “Whether it’s fresh or juice, the loss of those markets definitely hurt.” At least in part because of the …
Prepare for California Wildfire Smoke Rules
With fire season on the horizon, employers should prepare now to be in compliance with wildfire smoke regulations. Bryan Little, director of employment policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation and chief operating officer for the Farm Employers Labor Service, highlighted the things agricultural employers will need to do to get ready for the coming fire season. “Make sure you’ve …
Florida Citrus Crop Forecast Numbers Fall
The 2019–20 Florida citrus crop forecast released on May 12 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture saw decreases in all categories. The numbers for California and Texas did not change. ORANGESThe Florida all-orange forecast is 69.7 million boxes, down 1 percent from April’s 70 million boxes. If realized, this will be 3 percent less than last season’s revised final production. …
California Lawsuit Over Water for Farmers
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit to stop the federal government from increasing water deliveries to California farmers, including growers in the citrus regions of Central and Southern California. The increased deliveries are needed to comply with new state requirements to improve groundwater recharge efforts. The increased deliveries came about by changes in biological opinions. Biological opinions are …
New HLB Find in California
A new finding of huanglongbing (HLB) has been reported in a residential citrus tree in the city of San Bernardino, California. This is the first confirmed find of the citrus disease in the city and follows the recent detections of several HLB-positive trees located in Colton, Montclair and Ontario. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is working with …
Georgia Also Opposes China Citrus Imports
Like several organizations in Florida, the Georgia Citrus Association (GCA) has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to allow fresh citrus from China into the United States. GCA President Lindy Savelle asked for the reversal and expressed “strong opposition” to the April 15 USDA decision in an April 17 letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture …
Citrus Leaders Want Chinese Imports Decision Reversed
Leaders of citrus and other agricultural groups in Florida joined Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in strongly opposing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent decision to allow fresh Chinese citrus imports into the United States. An April 21 letter that Fried wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue stated in part, “The dire situation on the ground due to …
Citrus Work Still Moving Forward at University of Florida
While the scenery may have changed, the work remains the same for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus faculty and Extension agents. “The coronavirus pandemic has altered the daily routine but not our mission to provide research and educational service to the citrus industry,” said Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and …
Reactions Vary on China Citrus Imports
Representatives of the California and Florida fresh citrus industries had distinctly different reactions to the announcement that some fresh citrus from China can now be imported into the United States. California Citrus Mutual President Casey Creamer said, “We don’t anticipate any major disruptions in our fresh markets. It is not anticipated that much volume will come to the U.S.” But …
COVID-19 Citrus Damage to Top $200 Million
The chief executives of three large U.S. citrus grower associations estimate that “the immediate COVID-19 impact to certain varieties of citrus will be over $200 million.” Casey Creamer of California Citrus Mutual, Dale Murden of Texas Citrus Mutual and Mike Sparks of Florida Citrus Mutual offered that economic damage assessment in an April 9 letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny …
U.S. Citrus Supply and Prices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook report on March 31. The report shows that the forecast for the U.S. citrus crop is down 4 percent from last season and how this is affecting imports, exports and pricing. LOWER PRODUCTIONU.S. all-orange production is expected to decrease by 1.6 percent, largely due …
California Agricultural Commissioners Declare Bloom
California agricultural commissioners declared the citrus bloom is now underway in Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties. This establishes the beginning of a time when the use of insecticides is greatly restricted in citrus groves. These restrictions enable bees to work the citrus blossoms while reducing the potential of serious pesticide damage to the bees. Kern County Agricultural Commissioner Glenn Fankhauser …
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Updates
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) agreed March 24 to seek very focused research projects that will answer growers’ questions about proper nutrition in the face of HLB. The questions were formulated by CRDF’s Nutrition Working Group, a panel of growers, scientists and others. FOCUS ON NUTRITION “We know it’s (nutrition) important and we have to get it right …





























