Lebbeck mealybugs, found for the first time in Florida citrus in June in Highlands County, have now been confirmed in Hardee, DeSoto and Hendry county groves. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (DPI) verified the pest finds. Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida entomologist, has been working closely with growers as the lebbeck mealybug finds …
The Real Cost of HLB in Florida
By Ariel Singerman This article summarizes the major changes in the cost of production for processed oranges in Florida since the outbreak of huanglongbing (HLB). To deal with the disease, growers have significantly changed their cultural practices. Those changes have had a considerable impact on the cost of production per acre. NOMINAL COSTS VS. REAL COSTSHowever, given that inflation also …
Citrus Black Spot Quarantine Area Updated in Florida
Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding eight sections in Charlotte County, nine sections in Lee County, 28 sections in Hendry County, and five sections in Collier County to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. This action is in response to the confirmation of CBS during annual surveys conducted by APHIS and …
PIECES OF THE PAST: The Founding of Florida Citrus Mutual
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette On the cover of the April 1949 issue of Citrus Industry magazine, there is a paragraph that references the beginning of Florida Citrus Mutual. It simply states: “Now that Florida Citrus Mutual is definitely and permanently organized, it behooves every citrus grower in Florida to give this super-cooperative organization his loyal and whole-hearted support. With prices …
Miss Florida Citrus Advances to Miss America Pageant
Miss Florida Michaela McLean of Clermont loves Florida orange juice. “I don’t have a choice,” she says with a laugh. After all, she comes from a fifth- generation citrus family. Her father is Ben McLean III, a board member of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation. She has helped customers in her grandfather Benny McLean’s u-pick grove and rung up …
Florida Department of Citrus to Study OJ Consumption
Amid ongoing struggles in Florida’s citrus industry, the Florida Department of Citrus appears to be turning attention to studying orange juice consumption. The department said Tuesday it is looking for three separate studies that would assess various aspects of orange juice consumption, including how it can affect people’s moods when drinking it as a snack. According to a bid notice, …
Pest Alert: Lebbeck Mealybug Found in Florida Citrus
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry issued an updated pest alert for lebbeck mealybug. Laurie Hurner, Highlands County Extension director, says this pest and its damage have been found in Highlands County citrus. “It has been misidentified as cottony cushion scale,” says Hurner. “It has been found in young trees under net and …
Florida Citrus Commission Approves Preliminary 2019-20 Budget
The Florida Citrus Commission approved a preliminary 2019-20 budget for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) based on an estimate of 71.40 million boxes of oranges and 4.51 million boxes of grapefruit. Presented Wednesday, the department’s total preliminary budget is $14.82 million with an overall budget decrease of about $4 million over the previous year, which is largely due to …
Meetings on Algae, Citrus and Water Management Ring Alarms for Florida Agriculture
Three meetings this week in three different areas of the state brought more discussion that should wake up producers and others in agriculture who have remained mostly silent for decades. As the state’s population continues to swell by a 1,000 new residents each day, Florida’s population will likely exceed 22-million next year. As the nation’s third most populous state, there’s …
Imported OJ Cost Florida Citrus Growers This Season
Apopka citrus grower Chip Henry of McGuire Groves says orange juice (OJ) imports cost him money this year and may have led to other growers being stuck with unharvested fruit. “As the season progressed, I began to realize that the pricing structure was subject to being weakened considerably by imports of orange juice from primarily Mexico,” Henry says. According to …
Florida Citrus Production Continues Downward Trend
The 2018–19 Florida all-orange forecast released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on June 11 is 71.4 million boxes. The total includes 30.4 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, mid-season and Navel varieties) and 41 million boxes of Valencia oranges. The June forecast for non-Valencia production is unchanged from the May forecast. Harvest is complete for the included varieties. …
May Florida Citrus Forecast Sees Some Changes
The 2018–2019 Florida all-orange forecast released May 10 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 72.4 million boxes, down 5 percent from the April forecast. The total includes 30.4 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, midseason, and Navel varieties) and 42 million boxes of Valencia oranges. The forecast of non-Valencia production is finalized at 30.4 million boxes. Harvest is …
Some Declines in April’s Florida Citrus Forecast
ORANGESThe 2018–2019 Florida all-orange forecast released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 9 is 76.5 million boxes, down 1 percent from the March forecast of 77 million boxes. This includes 30.5 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, midseason and Navel varieties) and 46 million boxes of Valencia oranges. Non-Valencia production is down 500,000 boxes from the March …
Florida Senators Fight for Disaster Dollars
Hurricane Irma devastated the Florida Citrus Belt in 2017. Federal disaster relief funding was approved in early 2018, but many Florida citrus growers have yet to receive those funds. Several industry leaders and groups have been advocating for growers in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. Now, Florida senators are joining the fight. Senator Ben Albritton, chairman of the Florida Senate Agriculture …
Citrus Land Price Rises in Florida
The sales price of Florida citrus land rose in 2018, according to the Lay of the Land Market Report issued by Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate (CBCSRE) on March 29. The price per net-tree acre was approximately 5.8 percent higher than in 2017, and the gross acre price was approximately 9.2 percent higher than in 2017. “The large growers …
Michaela McLean Crowned Miss Florida Citrus
The Florida citrus industry now has one of its own family members to serve as a spokesperson. Michaela McLean, sponsored by Pro Citrus Network, won the title of Miss Florida Citrus 2019 on March 23. Her family owns Uncle Matt’s Organic orange juice company, based in Clermont, Florida. “Uncle Matt is actually my uncle,” says McLean. “I’m on the back …
Citrus Growers Meet in Florida’s Heartland
Several hundred Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) members and area community leaders turned out for the association’s 29th annual meeting on March 21 in Sebring, Florida. Florida Department of Citrus Executive Director Shannon Shepp briefly updated the group on activities of the department. Rep. Greg Steube (FL-District 17) was the featured speaker. He shared some of his experiences and …
Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute Preview
In a recent interview, Michael Rogers provided an in-depth preview of presentations scheduled for the April 2 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park. Rogers is director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Rogers said multi-county citrus Extension agents have been putting the Institute program together …
Miss Florida Citrus Pageant Is This Weekend
Citrus industry members seeking a fun night out this weekend need look no further than the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant! Don’t miss your chance to welcome the newly crowned Miss Florida Citrus to the industry. Not only will she serve as a a key spokeswoman to represent the Florida citrus industry in a positive light, she’ll earn scholarship money and …
Make Plans to Attend the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant
A new spokeswoman for the Sunshine’s State’s citrus industry will be crowned at the Miss Florida Citrus pageant next week. Citrus industry members are encouraged to attend the Miss Florida Citrus and Miss Winter Haven pageant on Saturday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Polk State College’s Winter Haven Fine Arts Theatre. Tickets are available for $10 in advance at …