2016 Flavors of Florida

Kelsey FryCitrus, Genetic Engineering, Nutrition

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) put on the third annual Flavors of Florida event at the UF President’s House in Gainesville on May 9. The event was designed to showcase the edible research products of the UF/IFAS Plant Innovation Center and celebrate the accomplishments of Field and Fork (the campus food pantry) and other …

Why Florida Citrus Will Survive HLB

Kelsey FryCitrus

Speaking at the Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park on Tuesday, University of Florida genetics researcher Fred Gmitter asked the question, “Will Florida’s citrus industry survive HLB?” In an interview after his presentation, he gave several reasons why he thinks the citrus industry will not only survive HLB, but thrive. Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight …

Per-Acre Prices of Florida Citrus Land

Josh McGillCitrus

Average per-acre prices of scores of citrus properties sold in 2015 are provided in this summary of the annual Lay of the Land Market Report prepared by Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate. The prices are for the Central Ridge, Flatwoods and Indian River areas. Prices are also provided for sales of former citrus land that went into other agricultural …

Miss Florida Citrus 2016 Crowned

Josh McGillCitrus

Miss Florida Citrus 2016 Was Crowned Last Weekend Contestants competed for the title of Miss Florida Citrus 2016 on March 19 in Winter Haven. The whole room grew silent as Summer Foley, Miss Florida Citrus 2015, prepared to announce the first-place winner. Miami’s Stephanie Capon was crowned the 2016 Miss Florida Citrus. Capon’s platform was Healthy HeARTbeats: Arts for Community …

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees

Josh McGillCitrus

Citrus Industry Legends Inducted into Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Friday, March 11, was the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Celebration Luncheon, where a crowd of over 400 citrus community and industry members welcomed three new inductees into the Hall of Fame. The inductees are Dr. William S. “Bill” Castle of Lake Alfred, John C. “Jack” Norris of Palm City, …

Future of Florida Citrus

Kelsey FryCitrus

Hope for the Future of Florida Citrus Anyone involved in the Florida citrus industry can speak of the hardships the industry has faced since HLB first appeared in the state in 2005. One member of the industry, who has stuck with it through thick and thin, offered his positive perspective on the future of the industry. Bill Castle, University of …

Urgent Request from Florida Citrus Mutual

Kelsey FryCitrus

Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), distributed the following urgent request to the citrus industry this morning. Dear FCM Members and Friends: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently reviewing our industry’s request to grant a Section 18 Emergency Exemption for two bactericides – oxytetracycline and streptomycin. The bactericides are essential in our fight against …

Legislative Progress for Florida Citrus Growers

Kelsey FryCitrus

In a message below, Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, reports positive news on the current status of the citrus industry’s agenda items in the legislative session. Dear FCM Board and Members: It’s been a whirlwind 2016 in Tallahassee and with a week left in the scheduled legislative session, I have some very positive news to share. …

Results of Florida Citrus Research Order Referendum Announced

Kelsey FryCitrus

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that Florida’s citrus growers reauthorized the Florida citrus research order in a statutorily required referendum conducted by the department. More than 87 percent of ballots received by the department were in favor of reauthorization. Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 20245 Facts About Fire Ants …

Florida Citrus Industry Proposes Dramatic Changes for FDOC

Kelsey FryCitrus

A group of growers, processors and fresh fruit packers who share a deep concern about the grave economic situation facing the Florida citrus industry have submitted a formal request to Florida Citrus Commission Chairman G. Ellis Hunt Jr. The group is asking for very significant modifications to the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) programs to adapt to the crisis and …

Seeking Miss Florida Citrus Contestants

Kelsey FryCitrus

The Miss Florida Citrus Pageant will be held on March 19 in Winter Haven at Theatre Winter Haven. This is a Miss America preliminary pageant, so contestants must have a talent. The pageant is open to all women between the ages of 17 and 24 that either reside in Florida or attend school in Florida (for at least the past …

Slight Changes in USDA’s Florida Citrus Crop Forecast

Kelsey FryCitrus

The only changes made in today’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast were in Florida. Red grapefruit decreased 3 percent, going from 8.5 million boxes to 8.2 million boxes. The projection for honey tangerines increased from 600,000 boxes to 700,000 boxes, bringing the overall Florida tangerine total to 1.5 million boxes. Download Audio February USDA Citrus Crop Forecast …

Agroview

The Growth of AI-Based Agroview

Daniel CooperTechnology

A few weeks after Yiannis Ampatzidis started working at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in 2017, Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Florida citrus groves. Growers needed to count their trees with precision to get crop insurance, but it was a laborious, time-intensive task. Ampatzidis, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the Southwest …

juice market

Cold-Hardy Growers Eyeing Juice Market

Daniel CooperCold Hardy

A low volume of fruit in the cold-hardy citrus region is being produced for the juice market. With the current market prices for juiced citrus, that number could increase in the near future. This topic was discussed during the recent Georgia Citrus Association annual meeting in Tifton. “With the prices today, there is a future for it,” said grower Kim …

stuart scholarship

Stuart Scholarship Applications Due April 14

Daniel CooperEducation, Scholarship

To instill passion for the agriculture industry, engage with a new generation of young leaders and foster a workforce dedicated to the future of Florida agriculture, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) created the Mike and Karen Stuart Scholarship. The scholarship is in recognition of the devotion and many years of service to the specialty crop industry that the Stuarts …

orange fights

From Orange Fights to Industry Leaders

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida

Morgan McKenna Porter, who grew up in a Florida citrus family, remembers having orange fights as a youth with her cousin, Riley. When she started classes at the University of Florida in 2010, she knew she wanted to major in agriculture. Porter took classes in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree …

otc

OTC Optimization Discussed in Podcast

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, HLB Management

Ute Albrecht, associate professor of plant physiology with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), joined the February All In For Citrus podcast to discuss the latest learnings in optimizing trunk injections of oxytetracycline (OTC) aimed at reducing HLB in trees. She shared what has been discovered over the past few years in terms of application …

Mississippi

Quarantine Updates: HLB in Mississippi; Mexfly in Texas

Daniel CooperDiseases, Pests, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) recently announced a quarantine for huanglongbing (HLB) in Mississippi as well as updates to Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas. HLB APHIS, in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, established a quarantine for the entire state of Mississippi for HLB. The action was taken …

virus

Stay Vigilant About Virus Threat

Daniel CooperDiseases, Tip of the Week

By Ozgur Batuman and Amit Levy Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) was first reported on lemon and sour orange trees in Pakistan in 1988. Since then, the disease has been primarily restricted to Asian countries. However, CYVCV was more recently detected in dooryard citrus in California in 2022. While there is no indication that the virus is present in …