Frustration is growing among Florida citrus growers awaiting the distribution of $2.36 billion in federal disaster-relief money for agriculture losses sustained in Hurricane Irma. “We’re still waiting, maybe not as patiently as we were to start with,” Florida Citrus Commission Chairman G. Ellis Hunt said Wednesday. President Donald Trump signed the disaster-relief package in February, five months after Hurricane Irma …
Citrus Industry Priorities for the Next Farm Bill
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 …
New Method for Early HLB Detection
By Len Wilcox Early detection of citrus trees infected with huanglongbing (HLB) has become the target of researchers around the world, and scientists from the University of California (UC) now believe they have the answer. Early detection is vital for identifying HLB-positive trees before physical symptoms of the disease appear and it spreads throughout a grove. SMELLING THE SICKNESS UC …
Sneak Peek: March 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine
By Tacy Callies Citrus growers and researchers alike are learning more about the role intensive nutrition management plays in keeping HLB-infected trees productive. The March issue of Citrus Industry magazine provides two features on nutrition management. The first is a foliar nutrition research update from a team of University of Florida scientists. The article offers a summary of results on …
Florida Orange Crop Forecast Falls Again
The 2017–2018 Florida all-orange forecast released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 45 million boxes, down 1 million boxes from the January forecast. If realized, this will be 35 percent less than last season’s production. The forecast for non-Valencia orange production is unchanged at 19 million boxes. Size and drop components were final last month. The forecast for Valencia …
Tools for Integrated Management of Citrus Psyllids and Leafminers
By Jawwad A. Qureshi, Philip A. Stansly and Lukasz L. Stelinski Pest management has always been important for citrus production in Florida. It has become even more critical following invasion of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and citrus leafminer (CLM), due to their association with huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) and canker diseases, respectively. ACP and CLM develop and reproduce …
Sneak Peek: February 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine
The cover of the February issue of Citrus Industry magazine features a familiar face at the Citrus Research and Education Center. Jude Grosser has been a part of the University of Florida facility for more than three decades. He tells about the citrus variety research he has accomplished so far, as well as the goals he is still striving to …
UF/IFAS Researchers Awarded $10.5M to Work on HLB Resistance/Tolerance
With citrus greening devastating Florida’s $8.6 billion-a-year citrus industry, three University of Florida scientists will use $10.52 million in federal grants to study ways to help growers cope with the disease, including research on genetic editing that may produce potentially resistant fruit and trees. Since greening — or huanglongbing (HLB) — was first reported in Florida in 2005, Florida’s citrus …
Citrus Agency Shifts Money as Industry Seeks Aid
The Florida Department of Citrus adjusted its budget Wednesday for the second time this growing season, as leaders of the storm-battered industry hold out hope the U.S. Senate will approve a disaster-relief package. The Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the department, agreed to shift more than $70,000 out of administration, scientific-research and global-marketing budgets to cover an anticipated drop in …
Citrus Money Passes House but Could Stall in Senate
Federal relief for Florida citrus growers cleared the U.S. House on Thursday, but its fate remained unclear in the Senate, which may not take up the package until January. Before the House vote, leaders separated an $81 billion disaster-relief package that includes citrus money from a short-term funding resolution needed to keep the government open through mid-January. The move drew …
Imported Citrus Numbers Continue to Grow in Florida
An increase in imported orange juice is anticipated by the Florida Citrus Commission to offset a decline in tax revenue from the state’s hurricane-battered growers, who await congressional action on disaster relief. The commission — during a brief conference call Wednesday — agreed to shift $556,147 from reserves to help cover the Department of Citrus’ budget for the current fiscal …
Attacking HLB From All Angles
University of California Riverside (UCR) is committed to a major offensive against huanglongbing (HLB, or citrus greening disease), as the threat is marching ever closer to commercial citrus orchards in California. The only confirmed cases in Southern California have been in residential trees in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including near the UCR campus. But some experts believe it is …
HLB Research Beyond CRDF: Florida’s Goal Achieved
By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As 2017 draws to a close, the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) is working to redefine the primary directions for its research and delivery programs. Federal funding programs that have emerged over the past four years are covering much of the discovery and knowledge-building research, and is …
Sneak Peek: December 2017 Citrus Industry Magazine
The 2018 Citrus Guide is featured in the December issue of Citrus Industry magazine. This annual directory of Florida citrus organizations, agencies, researchers and vendors has expanded to include California. Growers can find all of the contact information they need in a single, easy-to-read source. In addition to the Citrus Guide, the December issue of the magazine includes several features. …
Specialty Crop Grower Sees Success with Finger Limes
By Len Wilcox When Jim Shanley retired from his highly successful career in commodity trading, he knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to do it: farm specialty crops in the hills overlooking Morro Bay, California. His choice of crops, however, was not so clear. He started with avocados, but it was a curious little fruit from …
Update on Citrus Undercover Production Systems Research
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Alan Wright and Rhuanito Ferrarezi Authors’ note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma passed through Florida. We are still assessing the full impact and implications of storm damage to both University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus undercover production systems (CUPS) facilities and will provide updates in future articles. Citrus …
Citrus Imports Playing Bigger Role in Florida
Oranges imported to Florida — primarily from Brazil and Mexico — are projected to surpass what is grown in the hurricane-damaged Sunshine State this season. The Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday approved an adjusted $17.8 million budget that takes into account an increase in imports that will help cover crops lost in September to Hurricane Irma. “With Hurricane Irma’s impact …
Sneak Peek: November 2017 Citrus Industry Magazine
The November 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine features an in-depth article on the first citrus crop forecast of the season. The figure of 54 million boxes of Florida oranges that the USDA predicted was met with mixed reactions and caused some controversy. In the article, industry leaders and growers share their perspectives on the forecast. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s …
Citrus Crop Forecast: Florida All Oranges at 54 Million Boxes
The 2017-2018 Florida all-orange forecast released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 54 million boxes, 21 percent less than last season’s final production. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Florida Citrus Mutual both issued statements indicating they are concerned that the forecast did not accurately account for the full damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma. Listen to the …
Putnam Questions Citrus Estimate After Irma
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam cast doubt Wednesday on the first crop estimate for the citrus growing season, as federal officials prepare to release the estimate Thursday. In Washington, D.C. to discuss federal assistance after Hurricane Irma, Putnam suggested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s forecast for the 2017-2018 growing season may be too high. “I put zero stock in …