Florida Citrus Commission Hears Juice Trends and Appoints Leadership

Tacy CalliesFlorida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, Orange Juice

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Jan. 21 received updates on citrus industry economic issues and appointed a chair and vice-chair. The FCC, whose members are appointed by Florida’s governor, is the governing board for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC).   ORANGE JUICE (OJ)OJ retail sales trends for the four-week period through Dec. 27, 2025 show the price per …

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 …

Japanese citrus

Japanese Citrus Production and Trade Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has issued a forecast for all Japanese citrus varieties for 2025–26. ORANGES Fresh orange production in Japan remains small and continues a gradual long-term decline as growers reduce investment in minor citrus varieties and prioritize more profitable crops such as mandarins. Orange production is estimated to decrease 4.7% from 4,090 …

CRAFT

Sharing CRAFT Knowledge at the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel CooperCRAFT, Events, FCS24, Florida Citrus Show

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation has been a lifeline to Florida’s citrus industry in the battle against HLB. CRAFT’s programs provide incentives for new plantings and existing tree therapies in exchange for growers submitting data for those projects. CRAFT then analyzes that data for trends and potential solutions. Another key mission of CRAFT is sharing the results …

ascorbic acid

Amending Oxytetracycline With Ascorbic Acid

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Fessler Mathews, Ana Redondo and Ozgur Batuman Trunk injections of oxytetracycline (OTC) have been proven to give huanglongbing (HLB)-affected citrus in Florida a boost in productivity and quality. However, previous studies have shown that even just six hours of exposure to heat and humidity in the grove can lead to OTC injections that no longer adequately suppress CLas …

Mexican

Mexican Citrus Production and Trade Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has forecast Mexican citrus production and trade for the 2025–26 season. ORANGES Orange production is forecast to decrease 2.8% from the previous year to 4.7 million metric tons (MMT). Orange planted area is projected at 356,800 hectares, a 0.97% increase from the previous year. Mexico’s fresh orange exports are forecast …

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, …

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 …

remobilization

Seasonal Differences in Bark and Leaf Nitrogen Remobilization

Daniel CooperNutrition, Research

Recent research indicates that citrus bark and mature leaves have significantly different nitrogen remobilization patterns. Study authors are Huaye Xiong, Bin Hu, Jie Wang, Xing-Zheng Fu, Yueqiang Zhang, Xiaojun Shi and Heinz Rennenberg, all with Southwest University in China. Here is the article summary: Seasonal nitrogen (N) storage and remobilization are critical for tree growth. Deciduous trees primarily store N …

Georgia citrus

First U.S. Citrus Crop Forecast Issued for 2025–26

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast

The first federal forecast of the 2025–26 citrus season, issued Jan. 12, calls for continued decreased production of Florida oranges and grapefruit. The Florida lemon forecast increased and exceeds the state’s tangerine/mandarin forecast, which is flat. Other citrus-producing states are also included in the forecast, which was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). FLORIDA …

Peruvian

Peruvian Mandarin Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International, Mandarins

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects Peruvian tangerine/mandarin production in 2025–26 at 570,000 metric tons (MT), the same as the prior year. VARIETIES Tangerine/mandarin varieties in Peru include: The market for exports is dominated by easy peelers and seedless varieties including Murcott, Tango, Primosole, Clementine, Minneola and Orri. Peru’s main harvest season runs from March …

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 …

pest management

Planning Pest Management for Florida Citrus in 2026

Daniel CooperPests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock Pest management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. But with knowledge of insect, mite and snail seasonal biology in relation to tree phenology, plans can be developed to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. Populations of some highly problematic pests (Asian citrus psyllid and citrus leafminer) generally increase with flush/new growth development, so targeting peak …

marketing

Florida Citrus Marketing Efforts Updated

Daniel CooperFlorida Department of Citrus, Marketing

The Florida Citrus Commission’s (FCC) Global Marketing Committee in December provided an update on all Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing programs. The FCC, appointed by Florida’s governor, is the FDOC’s governing board.  ORANGE JUICE Marketing programs for orange juice (OJ) included ongoing activities with the Tampa Bay Lightning and a media event held in New York City on Dec. …

Florida Citrus Extension Agent Retiring

Daniel Cooperextension

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recently announced the pending retirement of multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt. Oswalt has been the agent for Polk and Hillsborough counties for decades. Michael Rogers, UF/IFAS statewide citrus research and Extension coordinator, said Oswalt “has faithfully served and greatly benefited numerous growers, researchers and his fellow Extension agents.” …

guide

Updated Australian Citrus Guide Available

Daniel CooperDiseases, Pests, Research

The new Citrus Plant Protection Guide 2025-26 from Australia’s New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) is available online. The seventh edition of the guide provides up-to-date information on all aspects of managing pests and diseases in citrus orchards and includes updates on NSW DPIRD projects. Some of the projects are funded by Hort Innovation …

Rural and Family

Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Accepting Applications

Daniel CooperLand

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has announced the opening of an application cycle for landowners to apply to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The program partners with farmers and ranchers through rural lands protection easements to preserve working agricultural operations. Landowners can learn more about the program and submit applications here through Jan. 23, …

regenerative pilot

Regenerative Pilot Program To Improve Soil, Water and Productivity

Daniel Coopersoil, Water

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality and boost long-term productivity. “Protecting and improving the health of our soil is critical not only for the future viability of farmland, but to the future success of American farmers,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture …

efforts

Florida Citrus Sales Continue To Take a Hit

Daniel CooperFresh, Orange Juice, sales

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Dec. 17 heard about the continued declining sales of fresh Florida citrus and orange juice (OJ). Marisa Zansler, director of economic and market research for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), presented the sales reports. The FCC serves as the governing board for the FDOC, which is tasked with marketing, research and regulation of …