from: News Service of Florida The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday gave Gov. Rick Scott’s administration until noon on Monday to respond to a lawsuit challenging the governor’s veto of $37.4 million intended to go to residents whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to eradicate the citrus canker disease. The Supreme Court set the deadline …
Citrus Industry Tightens Belt Amid Industry Woes
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida The Florida Department of Citrus plans to continue to squeeze its operations during the coming year as the industry struggles, though travelers will still be able to receive free orange juice at state welcome centers. The Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the department, approved a preliminary $17.5 million operating budget Wednesday that would …
Homeowners Seek to Overturn Scott Citrus Money Veto
News Service of Florida Homeowners and their lawyers asked the Florida Supreme Court late Tuesday to overturn Gov. Rick Scott’s decision this month to veto $37.4 million intended for residents whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to eradicate the citrus canker disease. Lawmakers included the money in the 2017-2018 budget to compensate residents of Broward …
Citrus Greening Detected in Alabama
A plant disease that presents a serious threat to the U.S. citrus industry has been detected in Alabama. Federal and state plant health officials have confirmed the identification of citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing or HLB, which is caused by the bacterial pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. This is the first confirmation of citrus greening in Alabama despite biannual surveys …
2017 Citrus Youth Day
Citrus Youth Day was created to help teach students about the importance of citrus and agriculture as careers, as well as in the community. Jamie Burrow, Extension program manager for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center, says there will be five stations for the kids during the Citrus Youth Day event. The …
Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference Underway
The Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference is taking place this week at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs. AgNet Media’s Gary Cooper is there and has this report. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting Out of Fire AntsJune 1, 2025A Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight …
June Citrus Forecast: Oranges Up; Tangerines Down
ORANGES The 2016-2017 Florida all-orange forecast released by Mark Hudson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is up 500,000 boxes to 68.5 million boxes. The increase is in Valencia oranges. The total includes 33 million boxes of non-Valencias (early, midseason, and Navel varieties) and 35.5 million boxes of Valencias. For the previous 10 seasons used in …
Managing Multiple Risks in a Citrus Farming Operation
By Ariel Singerman and Stephen H. Futch Uncertainty can be defined as imperfect knowledge, and risk as uncertain consequences, particularly unfavorable consequences. To take a risk then is to expose oneself to a chance of loss, in some cases expecting a gain in return. Many decisions in agriculture involve risk and uncertainty. Risk management is concerned with reducing the possibility …
California to Increase Citrus Grower Fees
The California State Assembly approved a bill that will allow the citrus industry to increase fees to provide funds for activities to protect residential and commercial citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and the deadly huanglongbing (HLB) plant disease it can carry. SB 243 by Senator Galgiani (Stockton) allows for an additional $9.6 million in grower assessments to …
UC Davis Seeking a Few Good Citrus Orchards
Professor Patrick Brown, of the University of California, Davis Department of Plant Sciences, needs the help of some citrus growers with high-producing citrus orchards for a special project. He is looking for growers who have both navels and mandarins that are productive. “It’s a non-destructive study. We just want to collect leaf samples and analyze them for nutrient levels,” said …
Sneak Peek: June 2017 Citrus Industry Magazine
There is no doubt that the biggest risk Florida citrus growers currently face is HLB disease. But there are many other risks that can and should be managed effectively. University of Florida’s Ariel Singerman and Steve Futch provide risk management advice for growers in the June issue of Citrus Industry magazine. Their article offers practical information on production, market, financial, …
Does Sugar Belle Citrus Have Built-in HLB Resistance?
During our quick ag tour last week with Max Armstrong and his television crew for “This Week in Agribusiness,” we spent some time with Fred Gmitter in one of the experimental plots at University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. We posted this interview as part of that tour series, but we’re reposting it here to …
Tree Assistance Program Aids Florida Citrus Growers
By Lauren Moore, FSA Public Affairs Specialist Adversity isn’t a stranger to Florida citrus growers. Throughout Florida’s history of citrus production, producers have dealt with damages left in the wake of multiple hurricanes and freezes. Larry Black is a fifth-generation citrus grower and general manager of Peace River Packing Company in Polk County, Florida. His family has been a part …
AgNet Hosts ‘This Week in Agribusiness’ — A Citrus Update
By Gary Gooper AgNet Media Founder and President Editor’s note: Read the prologue to this article. This week, I accompanied television program host and anchor Max Armstrong of the nationally-syndicated ag news program “This Week in Agribusiness” to guide him on a quick tour of Central Florida and help bring his audience up to date on the Florida citrus situation. …
Citrus Expo Season Has Started
Online pre-registration is now open for the 2017 Citrus Expo. The 26th annual event will take place August 16-17 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. The theme of this year’s Citrus Expo seminar program will be Challenge, Change and Opportunity. By attending the seminars, growers will be able to earn continuing education units toward a Florida …
Expanded U.S. Citrus Export Access to Europe
What will a recent European Union amendment to regulations on U.S. citrus imports mean for market access? Rod Bain reports. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting Out of Fire AntsJune 1, 2025A Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 2024
May Citrus Crop Forecast Has Small Changes
Mark Hudson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service issued the May 2017 citrus crop forecast. Florida forecast: United States forecast: Florida Oranges All Oranges The 2016-2017 Florida all-orange forecast is up 1 million boxes to 68 million boxes. The total includes 33 million boxes of the non-Valencia oranges (early, midseason, and Navel varieties) and 35 …
An Update on UF/IFAS-Grower Citrus Nutrition Trials
By Tripti Vashisth Mineral nutrition plays an essential role in a plant’s life cycle and is critical for its growth and development. Since the early 19th century, the importance of mineral nutrition for plants has been recognized, and fertilization has become an important aspect of crop production. At least 17 mineral nutrients are considered essential for plants. These include carbon, …
USDA Citrus Crop Forecast
The first USDA citrus forecast for the 2025-26 season will be released at 12 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2025. You will be able to tune in and hear the numbers as they are given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. AgNet Media is on Mixlr Please click on the player above for the internet audio stream …
European Union Trade Breakthrough for U.S. Citrus
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn announced that the European Union (EU) has amended its requirements for imports of U.S. citrus. Specifically, the EU has dropped its requirement that U.S. groves be surveyed for citrus canker, which eases entry of U.S. citrus into the EU market and saves growers millions of dollars in …




























