budget

Citrus Commission Approves Budget and Other Actions

Daniel CooperFlorida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in October approved a 2024–25 operating budget for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and heard about marketing programs the budget will fund. The FCC also approved citrus varieties to be included in the 2024 Program for Expedited Propagation. BUDGET AND ASSESSMENT RATES The FCC approved a $21.75 million operating budget for the FDOC. It …

shiranui

Shiranui Gaining Popularity in Cold-Hardy Citrus Region

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, Varieties

Leaders in the cold-hardy citrus region have long advocated for growers to diversify their crop portfolios. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association, has wanted citrus producers in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama to plant alternatives to satsuma mandarins, which has been the predominant citrus type produced in the region. Diversification helps extend the harvest season. …

Brazil's

Florida Researchers Visit Brazil’s Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperBrazil, Florida, Research

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researcher Fernando Alferez recently visited Brazil’s Fundecitrus, as well as orchards and experiments in Brazil’s citrus region. Alferez, an associate professor of horticulture at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, was accompanied by researchers from Fundecitrus and Embrapa Cassava & Fruits. The project coordinator of Florida’s Citrus Research …

hlb

HLB Confirmed on California Inactive Citrus Acreage

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Diseases

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has confirmed the detection of the citrus plant disease huanglongbing (HLB) in inactive citrus acreage in the city of Yorba Linda, Orange County. The detections mark the first time HLB has been confirmed in plant samples on non-residential, non-nursery citrus acreage. The detection site, which is not currently operational or being cultivated …

Dundee Citrus Growers Association

Dundee Citrus Growers Association Celebrates 100 Years

Daniel CooperFlorida, History

Dundee Citrus Growers Association has struggled with the same major setbacks as the rest of Florida’s citrus industry, including multiple freezes in the 1980s and HLB in this century. But Dundee, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, has not only survived but has become the state’s largest citrus cooperative. A recent video recounts the association’s history, focusing on the growth, …

committee

Citrus Administrative Committee Seeks New Member

Daniel CooperFlorida, Fresh

The Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC) is actively seeking nominations for a new committee member to complete a two-year term ending August 2026. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service policy is that the diversity of the board should reflect the diversity of its industries in experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies and other distinguishing factors …

crop

Georgia Citrus Crop Outlook Following Hurricane Helene

Daniel CooperGeorgia, hurricane

More than a month removed from Hurricane Helene, Georgia citrus growers have a better idea of the impact the devastating storm had on this year’s crop. All things considered, Georgia growers are fortunate with the fruit that is still left to be harvested, says Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association. “Everything we’ve heard so far is that …

Lindy Savelle

Lindy Savelle: A Voice for Georgia Citrus Growers

Daniel CooperGeorgia

Lindy Savelle took an unconventional route to becoming a leader for Georgia citrus. Turns out, her path was paved with success. The former federal law enforcement investigator decided to pursue a second career as a Georgia citrus grower and became a voice for the state’s blossoming industry. Almost 10 years after planting her first trees, Savelle has emerged as a …

Citrus Achievement Award

The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and an Infamous Moment

Daniel CooperAwards

This is the fourth installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. What are some of the resources available to the public through the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame? Burnette: The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame includes a digital database of Florida citrus crate labels, postcards, citrus industry photographs and a variety of artifacts, …

citrus canker

Citrus Canker May Spread After Hurricane Milton

Daniel CooperDiseases, hurricane

Citrus canker could spread in Florida groves as a result of Hurricane Milton, researcher Megan Dewdney warned. A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of plant pathology, Dewdney offered suggestions for dealing with canker at a recent UF/IFAS hurricane recovery webinar. WIND WOUNDS High winds and rain, which were abundant during the hurricane, move …

November

Sneak Peek: November 2024 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine features some of the faces of Georgia’s citrus industry. The cover story is a profile of citrus grower Lindy Savelle. She didn’t grow up in the citrus industry, and farming was not her first career. But her unconventional path has led her to become a leader in Georgia’s emerging citrus industry. Savelle serves …

citrus research plot

Hurricane Damages Georgia Citrus Research Plot

Daniel CooperGeorgia, hurricane, Research

Jake Price with University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension recently described Hurricane Helene damage to the UGA citrus research plot. His observations, slightly edited, are as follows: When I had a chance to look at our citrus research plot, I expected the worst. But to my surprise, all of the trees were still standing. There was limb breakage due to …

Southeast Citrus Expo

Clemson to Host Southeast Citrus Expo

Daniel CooperEvents

With citrus crops gaining popularity in South Carolina, Clemson University announced that the 2024 Southeast Citrus Expo will be held Nov. 22–23 in Charleston. The event will feature drop-in tours, a banquet and a full day of educational sessions. Zack Snipes, horticulture agent with Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, is the event coordinator. “More and more people are asking for …

USDA

USDA Announces $25 Million Fresh Citrus Purchase

Daniel CooperFresh

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Oct. 17 it will purchase up to $25 million in fresh citrus from domestic producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs. The purchases are being made through Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 and will assist producers and communities in need. “These purchases will benefit citrus producers by …

root recovery

The Real Reason Behind Citrus Decline

Daniel CooperOTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, answers questions related to trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: What is the biggest problem for Florida’s citrus growers to overcome? Tom Johnson: In the general news media, you can read all manner of uninformed reasons as to why citrus production has declined so dramatically in the past …

endophytes

Citrus-Derived Endophytes Have HLB Management Potential

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

Florida-based scientists published an article in Microorganisms indicating citrus-derived endophytes have potential for managing HLB. Endophytes are endosymbionts, often bacteria or fungi, which live within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease. The authors of the article are Jessica Dominguez, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran and Kateel G. Shetty of Florida International University, and U.S. Department …

campaign

Brazilian Citrus Researchers Discuss Pest Management

Daniel CooperBrazil, Pests

Fundecitrus researchers Marcelo Miranda and Wellington Ivo Eduardo participated in the recent XXIX Brazilian Congress of Entomology in Uberlândia in the state of Minas Gerais. In a round table discussion on fruit plant pests, Miranda addressed the challenges of implementing integrated pest management in citrus for insect vectors of pathogens. This includes the leafhopper that transmits citrus variegated chlorosis and …

milton

Hurricane Milton: Spotty Citrus Damage, Some Severe

Daniel Cooperhurricane

A few themes are unfolding as Florida’s citrus industry begins to assess Hurricane Milton’s damage. First, it could have been worse. The overall citrus losses do not appear to be as bad as those incurred from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Second, the hurricane affected nearly the entire Florida Citrus Belt, but damage varies greatly depending on the specific area. Reports …