Argentina

Argentina Orange and Tangerine Forecasts Issued

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Fresh orange production in Argentina is forecast at 680,000 metric tons (MT) for 2025–26 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). That’s an 80,000 MT increase from the previous year. Argentine tangerine production is expected to reach 240,000 MT in 2025–26, based on favorable weather. That’s up from 180,000 MT the previous year. PLANTED AREA The …

Mexfly

More Citrus Acreage Affected by Mexfly Quarantine Expansion

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

Agriculture officials on Dec. 30 expanded the Peñitas Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Hidalgo County, Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) took the action. APHIS and TDA expanded the Peñitas quarantine following the Dec. 22 confirmed detection of one Mexfly larva in a tangerine collected …

Dundee

PIECES OF THE PAST: A Legacy and a Launchpad

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette As I look back through my past columns, I realize I’ve unintentionally overlooked an organization that played a pivotal role in shaping both my career and my passion for Florida’s citrus industry — the Dundee Citrus Growers Association (CGA). Dundee CGA generously sponsored me — not once, but twice — in the Florida Citrus Queen Pageant, …

award

Citrus Greening-Related Research Wins Award

Daniel CooperAwards, Brazil

Fundecitrus doctoral student Lisseth Bibiana Puentes Figueroa received the Best Paper award in the Agricultural Microbiology category at the XV Brazilian Symposium on Applied Microbiology/VII Latin American Meeting on Applied Microbiology. Figueroa is affiliated with the Graduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology at the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture/University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP) and is supervised by Fundecitrus researcher Franklin …

Angle

A Focus on Flavor

Daniel CooperMarketing, Research, Technology

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP Our job at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to help you make money. Since HLB is the biggest threat to your bottom line, it’s at the top of our research agenda. We continue to seek scientific solutions to anything else that threatens your livelihood — other diseases, …

varieties

Budgeting for Satsumas and Seeking Alternative Varieties

Daniel CooperEconomics, Georgia, Varieties

As citrus acreage expands in Georgia, the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference has added the fruit to its educational seminar lineup in recent years. This year’s conference, held in Savannah in early January, featured various citrus topics, including pest and disease management, new varieties and economics of citrus production in the state. Greg Fonsah and Guy Hancock, ag economists …

Good Fruits

Fundecitrus Presents Good Fruits Program

Daniel CooperBrazil

Brazil’s Fundecitrus made a presentation about its Good Fruits (Bons Frutos) program during a recent webinar promoted by the Sustainable Juice Platform. The Sustainable Juice Platform is an initiative of the European Fruit Juice Association, which represents the fruit juice industry in the European Union. The online event regarding the orange industry in Brazil had approximately 50 participants from various …

Egyptian

Egyptian Orange Crop to Increase

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Egyptian orange production in 2025–26 is forecast to increase by around 15% from the prior year to 4 million metric tons (MMT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported.  Oranges account for 80% of all citrus production in Egypt, which ranks among the world’s top 10 orange producers. PLANTED AREA The orange acreage in Egypt is …

South African

South African Orange and OJ Production Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently forecast production and trade for South African oranges and orange juice (OJ) in 2025–26. ORANGES South Africa’s 2025–26 orange production is forecast to increase by 1% from 2024–25, to 1,850 million metric tons (MMT). The orange planted area is projected to increase by 2% in 2025–26, reaching 46,000 hectares. Valencias …

lemon production

The State of Lemon Production in Argentina

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International, lemons

Argentina’s lemon production for 2025–26 is projected to remain steady at 1.9 million metric tons (MMT) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). That projection is supported by mild weather conditions throughout the growing cycle. Lemon production in 2024–25 was 1.91 MMT. IMPROVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES Over the past decade, the Argentine lemon sector has benefited from …

peel

Turning Orange Peel Into Heart-Healthy Gold

Daniel CooperResearch

For every gallon of Florida orange juice produced, nearly an equal amount of peel is left behind. Traditionally, this material has been used for cattle feed or compost. New research from Yu Wang and Hyun Jeong Jung at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center suggests a far more valuable use. …

January

Sneak Peek: January 2026 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

The annual Citrus State of the Industry Survey is back, and Part 1 of the results are in. The citrus section of the January issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine shares what growers have reported on this season’s grove conditions. The report includes information on crop quality, expected yield and oxytetracycline use. Readers can scan the QR code in the …

Christmas

PIECES OF THE PAST: The Warmth of a Florida Christmas

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette There are Christmas memories that sparkle like tinsel and some that glow warm and steady, the way sunlight filters through a grove just after dawn. For many Florida families — mine included — Christmas has always smelled faintly of citrus and tasted of oranges fresh from the tree. Before the gifts were fancy and the stockings …

heart health

OJ Consumption Aids Heart Health

Daniel CooperOrange Juice, Research

A recent study has shown that regular orange juice (OJ) consumption can influence the activity of thousands of genes inside immune cells. Many of these genes help control blood pressure, calm inflammation and manage the way the body processes sugar, all of which play an important role in long-term heart health. The study followed adults who drank 500 milliliters of …

varieties

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: New University of Florida Varieties Introduced

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source, Varieties

By Peter Chaires In July, the Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc. (FFSP) advised the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) of eight newly released University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus varieties that may fall under F.S. 601.13 (4). This state statute provides the FCC with a first option to obtain …

Korean

Korean Citrus Byproducts Going to the Dogs

Daniel CooperInternational

Korean manufacturer Suchang recently announced it has successfully developed a new dog food product using gamgyul-bak — byproducts from the Korean citrus processing industry. Tentatively branded Orange Dogs, the product is designed for global markets, with export plans targeting the United States, Japan, China and Europe. The key ingredient of Orange Dog, gamgyul-bak, refers to the peel and residual materials …

Northern Hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere Citrus Forecast Released

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) has released its annual Northern Hemisphere citrus forecast for the 2025–26 season. The preliminary forecast is based on data from industry associations from the Mediterranean region and the United States. Citrus production for 2025–26 in the Northern Hemisphere is expected to decrease by 1.51% from the 2024–25 season, with a total of 27.397 million tons. …

waters

Proposed Waters of the U.S. Rule to Provide Clarity

Daniel CooperAgriculture, Regulation, Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army have announced a proposed rule that would define waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. EPA stated that the rule would protect America’s waters while providing the regulatory certainty needed to support farmers. According to EPA, the rule, when finalized, will cut red tape and …

inflammatory

Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Citrus Unlocked

Daniel CooperResearch

Scientists at The University of Alabama (UA) have developed a bio-engineered molecule that uses a natural citrus compound to both target and treat inflammation. Naringenin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruit, has long been recognized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the human body does a poor job of absorbing the compound in the form of food or currently …

December

Sneak Peek: December 2025 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Sneak Peek

As the end of the year approaches, now is a good time to look back at what has been learned about huanglongbing (HLB) disease over the last 20 years. In the Citrus Industry section of the December issue of Specialty Crop Grower, Michael Rogers, Citrus Research and Education Center director, provides a comprehensive review of the progress made in fighting …