Agriculture officials have expanded the areas quarantined for sweet orange scab (SOS) in the Los Angeles and Villa Park areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the quarantine. SOS is a disease caused by …
Costa Rican Orange Production Forecast
After an 11% fall in Costa Rican orange production in 2024–25, production is forecast to increase 10% in 2025–26 to 220,000 metric tons (MT). This projection is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS Two companies, TicoFrut and Del Oro, control most of the production and practically all processing of oranges in Costa …
Global Tangerine/Mandarin Projections
A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) report — Citrus: World Markets and Trade — included global tangerine/mandarin projections for 2025–26. Global fresh tangerine/mandarin production is forecast up less than 1% to 38.4 million tons. Larger crops in China, Turkey, Morocco, South Africa and Japan more than offset smaller European Union (EU) and U.S. harvests. Processing …
Last Chance to Preregister for the Florida Citrus Show
The Florida Citrus Show is just a week away. Preregistration for the event ends on Sunday, March 8. So, sign up now to skip the onsite registration process. The event is on March 12 at 8:00 a.m. at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural …
Flooding Disrupts South African Citrus
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported on disruption of citrus operations in South Africa due to flooding late last month. Heavy, persistent rainfall in South Africa’s Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces caused widespread flooding and infrastructure damage. Waterlogged citrus orchards have hindered disease management and increased the risk of citrus black spot (CBS) infestation, threatening market …
South Korean Citrus Production and Trade Forecast
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) recently forecast South Korean citrus production and trade for 2025–26. Tangerines and mandarins are the country’s dominant citrus varieties. TANGERINES/MANDARINS Korea’s tangerine/mandarin production is projected to increase 5.4% to approximately 570,000 metric tons (MT), thanks to favorable yield offsetting acreage loss.The tangerine/mandarin cultivation area in South Korea is projected to …
World Orange and Orange Juice Projections
A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) report — Citrus: World Markets and Trade — included global fresh orange and orange juice projections for 2025–26. FRESH ORANGE Global fresh orange production is projected up slightly to 45.9 million tons on larger crops in Brazil and Egypt, more than offsetting decreased production in Turkey, the European Union and …
Earn Continuing Education Units at the Florida Citrus Show
The Florida Citrus Show is only two weeks away, scheduled for March 12. The event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The educational seminars have much to offer for both citrus …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: A Valuable Field Day
By Peter Chaires Commercial and nursery growers, processors, packers, suppliers, caretakers, associations and research scientists came together on Dec. 5 to participate in the A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm Open House and Field Day. This great event is co-hosted annually by the Florida Citrus Research Foundation (FCRF) and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). TOUR The event provided a broad …
Estimate Puts Florida Freeze Damage at More Than $3 Billion
As growers surveyed fields and groves after the freeze in late January and early February, it was clear the damage has been catastrophic in many cases. That was confirmed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson with the first estimate of damage released on Feb 20. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) preliminary estimates of losses to Florida …
Influence of Rootstock on Growth, Productivity and Fruit Quality of Eureka Lemon
By Kim D. Bowman, Matt Mattia, Ranjeet Shinde and Flavia Zambon Profitability of the historic kings of citrus in Florida, sweet orange juice and fresh market grapefruit, has been severely reduced by the impact of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that lemon cultivars are generally more tolerant to HLB than sweet orange and grapefruit. Lemon trees continue cropping …
Florida Citrus Show To Feature CRAFT Insights
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. In 2025, CRAFT received more than $100 million dollars from the state legislature to fund more cycles of the …
New Specialty Crop Assistance Announced
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Feb. 13 it is providing $1 billion in funding for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program. The federal aid is for specialty crops and sugar. Those commodities were not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance program. Citrus is one of numerous ASCF-eligible specialty crops. See the full list of …
Federal HLB Quarantine Established in Arizona
Federal agriculture officials recently established an area quarantined for HLB in, paralleling the intrastate quarantine that the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) established on Feb. 7, 2025. The quarantined area of approximately 9 square miles is in the Nogales area of Santa Cruz County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) took the recent action …
Another Mexfly Quarantine Established in Texas
Federal and state agriculture officials on Jan. 26 established a Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Granjeno, Hidalgo County, Texas, designated the Granjeno quarantine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) took the action. APHIS and TDA established the Granjeno quarantine in response to the detection on Jan. …
See the Seminar Program for the Florida Citrus Show
The Florida Citrus Show is just a month away, scheduled for March 12. The event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The seminar program offers a wealth of educational opportunities, and …
Chilean Citrus Production Forecast
Chilean production of lemons, oranges and tangerines/mandarins are all forecast to increase in 2025–26 from the prior year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. LEMONS Lemon production is forecast to increase 4.4% from the prior year to 237,000 metric tons (MT). The increase is driven by expanded planted area and the crop’s profitability. The area …
Elevate Your Knowledge at the Florida Citrus Show
The Florida Citrus Show has an excellent day of education and networking planned for citrus and specialty crop growers. One of the most timely talks will cover post-freeze production considerations for citrus growers. Learn what Extension resources are available to growers to assist in their recovery efforts. Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) programs have been a lifeline to growers …
West Indian Fruit Fly in Texas Grapefruit Triggers Quarantine
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Jan. 16 established a West Indian fruit fly (Anastrepha obliqua) quarantine in Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas. It is designated the Palmview quarantine. This action parallels a quarantine established by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) on Jan. 13. APHIS took the action in response to the confirmed …
Moroccan Citrus Production to Increase
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) recently projected that production of all citrus varieties in Morocco will increase in 2025–26 compared to the prior year. TANGERINES/MANDARINS Morocco’s tangerine and mandarin production is forecast to reach 1.15 million metric tons, up 4% from the previous season. The area planted in tangerines and mandarins is 59,115 hectares. Tangerine/mandarin …





























