The May Florida citrus crop forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) saw some ups and downs. FLORIDA ORANGESThe Florida 2022–23 all-orange forecast declined 3%, from 16.1 million boxes in the April forecast to 15.65 million boxes in May. If the forecast is realized, this will be 62% less orange production than last season. …
Weather, Costs and Other Citrus Impacts
In U.S. Citrus Production – An Uphill Battle to Survive, Daniel Munch zeroed in on issues impacting citrus-producing states. In excerpts that follow, the American Farm Bureau Federation economist focuses on weather, disease, population, production shifts and increasing costs that have impacted citrus. FLORIDA FACES NUMEROUS CHALLENGESIn 2017, Hurricane Irma’s high winds and damaging rains battered key citrus-producing regions in …
U.S. Citrus Concerns Summarized
American Farm Bureau Federation economist Daniel Munch recently detailed concerns about the U.S. citrus industry in a report titled U.S. Citrus Production – An Uphill Battle to Survive. Excerpts providing an overview of those concerns follow. Once leaders in citrus crop production, U.S. growers (particularly those in Florida) have faced numerous challenges that have led to an unfortunate decline in …
Leader Development Program Seeks Applicants
Applications are open until June 16 for those interested in being part of Class 13 of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) Emerging Leader Development Program (ELDP). ELDP, administered by the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, was launched in 2011 to identify and develop leaders to be strong advocates for Florida agriculture. Program sessions provide a wealth of information about …
Application Tips to Protect Your Operation from Fire Ants
If there’s one thing we know about fire ants, it’s that they spread. If left untreated, fire ant colonies will multiply and exponentially damage your operation. Eliminating fire ants takes resilience, persistence, and proper application of fire ant baits. Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait from Central Life Sciences is a product that comes with a plan, meeting USDA fire ant quarantine …
Be Sure Campaign Marks Fifth Anniversary
There’s a campaign to help growers “be sure” about their stewardship. The Be Sure campaign from the Growing Matters Coalition is marking its fifth anniversary. Growing Matters is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to scientific discourse on the stewardship, benefits and alternatives of neonicotinoid insecticides in North America. The joint effort is led by Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, Valent U.S.A. LLC , BASF Agricultural Solutions and Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc. In …
Changes to U.S. Citrus Crop Forecast
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) released its latest citrus crop forecast on April 11. Florida’s grapefruit crop forecast for 2022–23 rose 6%. Projected production for the state’s other citrus varieties was unchanged. FLORIDA GRAPEFRUITThe all-grapefruit forecast for Florida is now 1.7 million boxes, up from 1.6 million boxes in March. Florida’s red grapefruit forecast …
U.S. Citrus Production to Decline Over a Decade
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects American citrus production will decline from 11.2 billion pounds in 2022 to 9.8 billion pounds in 2032. The 10-year outlook for citrus is part of the lengthy USDA Agricultural Projections to 2032 report. The report was issued in February by the chief economist’s office at the USDA. According to the report, total citrus …
Florida Forecast Sees Small Gains
The Florida 2022–23 all-orange forecast inched up 1% in March to 16.1 million boxes while the grapefruit forecast rose 7% to 1.6 million boxes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) forecast for Florida tangerines and tangelos was unchanged at 500,000 boxes. The entire rise of 100,000 boxes in the orange forecast was in the …
The Advantage of Youth
Morgan McKenna Porter brings new energy to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation. By Ernie Neff New Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board President Morgan McKenna Porter was born Feb. 29, 1992. There’s only a Feb. 29 every fourth year, a leap year. “So,” she quipped, “CRDF has a seven-year-old president if we go by my leap year age.” …
Celebrate Sunkist Citrus Day
Sunkist Growers is celebrating its 130th anniversary and California roots with Sunkist Citrus Day on March 1. In anticipation of the day, the fresh citrus cooperative discussed its history and products. Sunkist began in 1893, making it the longest-standing agricultural co-op in the United States. Sunkist’s first advertisement was published in Des Moines, Iowa, in March 1908 to promote the California …
PIECES OF THE PAST: From Flunky to Hall of Fame
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette John Jackson, John Veldhuis and Bob Battaglia have been working on a digital book about Lake Region Packing Association (LRPA) that is now available. In talking with them, I came across an oral history interview done on J.B. “Babe” Prevatt in 1977 by Paul Weaver at the University of Florida. Prevatt was with LRPA for 46 …
First HLB Confirmation in City of San Diego
The citrus disease HLB has been confirmed for the first time in the city of San Diego, California, making it the second city in San Diego County with a positive detection. (Read about the first San Diego County detection here.) The new detection was made in a residential citrus tree located in the Rancho Bernardo area of the city. The …
Florida Orange Forecast Continues to Fall
February’s federal citrus forecast trimmed another 2 million boxes from Florida’s projected orange crop, dropping expected 2022–23 production to 16 million boxes. That’s an 11% drop from what had already been projected to be a historically low orange crop. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS). If the Florida orange forecast …
Legal Arguments Start Over Streptomycin in Citrus
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was scheduled to hear oral arguments in late January challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of the antibiotic streptomycin as a pesticide on citrus crops. The lawsuit, brought by farmworker and public-interest groups, argues the use of streptomycin on citrus crops is unlawful under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and …
USDA Buying $20 Million of Fresh Mandarins
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will purchase up to $20 million of fresh mandarins and tangerines for distribution to food banks, schools and other non-conventional markets. According to California Citrus Mutual (CCM), this is the first time USDA has made such a purchase under authority of Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act Amendment of 1935. The purpose of …
Trunk Injection Not a Silver Bullet for HLB
Although trunk injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) has received much recent press for its promise in managing HLB, there is still no silver bullet for the devastating disease. That was part of plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman’s message at a Dec. 10 seminar addressing HLB and other citrus diseases that may exacerbate HLB’s effects on trees. “There is no single effective …
Florida Citrus Forecast Falls Further
Florida citrus crops, already at historically low levels, were forecast Jan. 12 to fall even lower. The all-orange forecast fell 10% from the December projection. The grapefruit and tangerine/tangelo forecasts both tumbled 17%. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS). If realized, the orange, grapefruit and tangerine/tangelo crops will be 56%, …
Sumo Citrus to Harvest Its Largest Crop
Sumo Citrus announced it will harvest its largest crop to date this season, running January to April, and double the amount of fruit produced last season. The fruit — derived from satsuma, orange and mandarin citrus varieties — will be distributed across North America. Sumo Citrus was originally cultivated in Japan in the 1970s by a single grower. The fruit …
Diaprepes in Florida Citrus: Past, Present and Future
By Lukasz L. Stelinski, Lauren Diepenbrock and Larry Duncan Given the focus on HLB in citrus management for more than a decade, important additional pests of citrus have sometimes not received the attention they may deserve. Trees with HLB are weakened and prone to succumb to the effects of the disease when challenged by secondary affliction(s), including infestation by diaprepes …