emergency program

California CRaFT Project Targets Psyllids

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Psyllids, Research

All commercial citrus producers in California are invited to apply for participation in the Citrus Research Board’s (CRB) California-focused Citrus Research and Field Trials (CA-CRaFT) project. The overarching goal of CA-CRaFT is to demonstrate the effects of additional mitigations on Asian citrus psyllid control within commercial citrus groves across the various citrus-growing regions in California. The project is supported by …

OJ Magnate Cutrale Dies

Josh McGillBrazil, Orange Juice

Fundecitrus reported that Brazilian orange juice magnate José Luis Cutrale died Aug. 17 in London, England. Fundecitrus issued the following comments: “José Luis Cutrale worked in several areas of activity: in the commercialization of fruits, in the cultivation of citrus and in the orange juice industry. “With his very high level of entrepreneurship, he raised the name of Brazil internationally, …

Focused on Finding Solutions

Josh McGillResearch

By Michael Rogers As we approach a new citrus-growing season, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers and Extension agents working throughout the state renew their focus on finding solutions that growers can use in the short term to sustain their operations. While we value our longer-term research projects, efforts that provide tangible applications that …

Global Citrus Production Is Up in All Categories

Josh McGillInternational, Production

Brazil, China and Mexico are the top producers. Brazil easily continues to lead the world in orange and orange juice (OJ) production, while China dominates in production of tangerines/mandarins and grapefruit. Mexico remains the leading producer of lemons and limes. These facts come from a July report on world citrus issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. …

More Orange and OJ Production in South Africa

Josh McGillInternational, Production

The production of oranges in South Africa is estimated to grow by 6% to 1.6 million metric tons (MMT) in 2021–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently reported. The area planted with oranges is expected to continue its stable growth rate, expanding by 2% to 47,750 hectares in 2021–22. Limpopo province is the leading growing region …

Orange and OJ Production Rise in Turkey

Josh McGillFresh, International, Orange Juice

Orange and orange juice (OJ) production levels in Turkey are forecast to be higher in 2021–22 than in 2020–21, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) update. Orange production is now expected to be 1.75 million metric tons (MMT), compared to 1.3 MMT the prior year. OJ production is projected at 10,000 metric tons (MT) …

Sneak Peek: August 2022 Citrus Industry

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, Sneak Peek

As growers prepare for the 2022–23 season, August is the perfect time to review what’s new in the citrus industry. The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo on Aug. 17–18 in North Fort Myers is the ideal venue to get the latest research updates while learning about new products and services. There’s no better place for industry leaders, growers, researchers and …

A Transformative Program

Josh McGillEducation

By J. Scott Angle Morgan McKenna always knew she’d return home some day. Three previous generations of McKennas hadn’t just made a living from citrus. They’d made a life of it. It’s a life she wanted, too. Morgan saw the family business as family first and business second. She was most interested in the emotional rewards of coming home to …

lemon/lime

South African Lemons and Limes to Reach Record Production

Tacy CalliesCrop Forecast, lemons, Limes

Production of lemons and limes in South Africa will grow by 7% to a historic high of 670,000 metric tons (MT) in 2021–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently estimated. In 2020–21, South Africa produced 626,791 MT of the fruit. PLANTED AREAThe area planted with lemons and limes grew more than threefold over the past 10 …

Grapefruit in Turkey: Production Up, Acreage Down

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, Grapefruit, International

Turkey is forecast to produce 249,000 metric tons (MT) of grapefruit in 2021–22, up 5% over the prior year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) reported. The increased production is due to better yields resulting from favorable weather conditions in the Mediterranean growing region, USDA/FAS stated in its semi-annual report on Turkish citrus. Improved yields have allowed …

Seminar Schedule Announced for Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Tacy CalliesCitrus Expo, Education

Growers and industry leaders should mark their calendars for this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo scheduled for Aug. 17–18 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. Complimentary registration is available for all growers, packers, shippers, processors, association members and university researchers. Josh McGill, show director, discusses why industry members should attend this year’s event. “We’re really …

South African Mandarin Production Boosted by Netting

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, Mandarins

There is a growing trend of South African mandarin growers aggressively establishing new orchards under netting, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently reported. The practice has improved water efficiency, yields and the overall quality of fruit, USDA/FAS says in its semi-annual South Africa citrus report. USDA/FAS says the production of tangerines/mandarins in South Africa is anticipated …

sour

Turkey’s Lemon Production Climbs

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, lemons

Fresh lemon production in Turkey for 2021–22 was recently forecast at 1.33 million metric tons (MMT) in an update by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS). That’s an increase of about 22% over expected prior year production of 1.1 MMT. Growers are expanding the area of their lemon orchards in part because lemons are more profitable than …

Orange Crop

Expectations for Brazil’s 2022–23 Orange Crop

Josh McGillBrazil, Orange Juice, Production

Brazil’s 2022–23 orange harvest is expected to yield a crop of 414.4 million 40.8-kg boxes (MBx), an increase of 15% over the prior season’s production. That forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) in its semi-annual report on Brazilian citrus. Most of Brazil’s 2022–23 orange harvest will come from the state of São Paulo …

South African Grapefruit Growth Continues

Josh McGillGrapefruit, International

The growth in South African grapefruit plantings is expected to continue in 2021–22, increasing by 3% to 9,200 hectares, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) stated in a recent report. The area planted to grapefruit grew by 25% over the past seven years. Limpopo province is the leading growing region for grapefruit in the country, accounting for …

snacking

Citrus Health Benefits Research Update

Josh McGillFlorida Department of Citrus, Research

Florida Department of Citrus-funded research into the health benefits of citrus products was among the highlights of a 2021–22 update the Florida Citrus Commission received in June. Rosa Walsh, director of scientific research at the department, provided the update. The update included three new publications on additional analyses of the Eurecat study on the impact of orange juice (OJ) and …

Oriental fruit fly

Oriental Fruit Flies Found in Florida

Josh McGillFlorida, Pests

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has confirmed the presence of Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Pinellas County. Two male flies were captured during routine trapping in a methyl eugenol-baited fruit fly detection trap in St. Petersburg on May 17. Expanded intensified delimitation trapping over the 80-square-mile surrounding area resulted in two additional males being captured …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Pounding the Pavement

Josh McGillHistory, Pieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I was reading a book about Dundee Citrus Growers Association, “D Is for Diamonds,” by Gordon Smith when I came across a story about Hoyle Pounds. He was inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1986. Pounds had a long career as an innovator. He …