rule

Worker Safety Resources Available in Spanish

Ernie NeffEducation

Free online resources from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension put safety in the hands of Spanish-speaking agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The Extension Farm Labor Education programs are part of UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning. For the first time, the Worker Protection Standard Train the Trainer (WPS TTT) certification course is available online in …

Korea Is the Top Market for U.S. Oranges

Ernie NeffTrade

Korea is the United States’ top export market for oranges and the third largest market for lemons and grapefruit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently reported. Oranges, lemons and grapefruit account for 99 percent of the country’s total citrus imports. More information from USDA/FAS about the Korean market follows: Citrus imports by Korea dropped in 2019 …

florida

Program to Protect California Ag Workers Expands Again

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, COVID-19, Labor

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced that Yolo and Imperial counties are now included in the Housing for the Harvest program. This program provides temporary hotel housing for farm and food-processing employees to self-isolate if they have been exposed to COVID-19 and cannot properly self-isolate at home. Twelve counties are now participating in Housing for the Harvest: …

Strong Growth for Citrus Water Market

Ernie NeffMarket

The global citrus water market is projected to reflect strong growth in 2020 in spite of the widespread coronavirus outbreak. While lockdown restrictions have limited demand from the food-service sector, lucrative opportunities have arisen for the short-term owing to the demand for functional beverages during the crisis period. A recent report by Future Market Insights indicates that demand for the …

USDA OJ Purchases Set Precedent

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

Marisa Zansler, economist for the Florida Department of Citrus, recently gave the Florida Citrus Commission an update on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 32 purchases of orange juice (OJ). A summary of her report follows. The purpose of USDA Section 32 purchases is to help alleviate depressed markets for domestically produced agriculture products. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service also …

South African Citrus Exports to Set Record

Ernie NeffExport/Import

South African citrus exports, both globally and to the United States, are expected to reach record levels in 2020, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS). The expected record is based on the pace of exports up to August 2020, increased production, a spike in demand for health reasons and limited logistics disruptions …

Sneak Peek: November 2020 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

As the new Florida citrus season starts, growers have many things on their minds: the low citrus forecast, the threat of potential freezes, and how best to protect both trees and employees. The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine aims to address these concerns. First up is a complete report on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s initial crop forecast for …

orange

FDOC Offers 2020-21 Citrus Season Outlook

Ernie NeffEconomics

Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) economist Marisa Zansler recently broke down the expected utilization of the 57 million boxes of oranges Florida is forecast to produce in the 2020-21 season. She also offered projections for utilization of grapefruit and specialty fruit, and made other economic projections in her outlook for the season. ORANGESAbout 96 percent of the orange crop is …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, October 2020

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast, Sponsored Content

An exciting development with genome sequencing, timely research in the face of COVID-19 and an update on sting nematode research headline October’s All In For Citrus podcast. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers details the benefits of recent news about the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) mapping the trifoliate orange genome. He says …

H-2A Program Updates

Tacy CalliesLabor, Regulation

When the U.S. government announced its decision to suspend visa processing in Mexico on March 18 to combat the spread of COVID-19, growers around the country immediately expressed concerns that the action could have a major impact on agriculture and the U.S. food supply. The concern, of course, was due to the vital role that foreign workers play in the …

citrus crop

Prospects for the 2020–21 Growing Season

Tacy CalliesMarket

Marisa Zansler, Florida Department of Citrus director of economic and market research, gave an update on fresh citrus prospects for the 2020–21 growing season during the recent virtual citrus Packinghouse Day meeting. Florida fresh citrus movement increased during the 2019–20 season, which was largely attributed to increased production, Zansler said. In addition to increased production, COVID-19 concerns served to move …

Maintaining Orange Juice Momentum

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) normally launches minimal programs during the first quarter of the fiscal year and instead focuses on strategic planning. This year, though, in order to continue to build upon the momentum of 2019-20, the FDOC and its advertising agency, Edible, launched a robust campaign to drive sales of 100 percent orange juice (OJ) at retail. …

zinc

Housing for the Harvest Program Expands

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, COVID-19, Labor

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced that the counties of Sacramento and San Luis Obispo are participating in Housing for the Harvest. This program was announced by California Governor Gavin Newsom in July to provide temporary hotel housing options for farm and food-processing employees to self-isolate if they are COVID-19 positive and do not require hospitalization. Counties …

Advice for Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers

Ernie NeffMarketing

North Florida citrus growers who are new to the industry received some marketing advice and background information recently from Vero Beach grower and packer Dan Richey. He gave a presentation during a virtual annual meeting of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association on Sept. 23. Richey, president and CEO of Riverfront Packing, urged the growers to have a plan and to …

wage

Florida Crop Workers at Risk

Tacy CalliesCOVID-19, Labor

As laborers return to the fields this fall in Florida, both unauthorized crop workers and H-2A workers are vulnerable to the coronavirus. According to a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study, an estimated 75 percent of Florida crop workers have at least one underlying health issue that puts them at risk of developing COVID-19 …

fresh

Orange Juice Import Impacts

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

Economist Tom Spreen discussed the impact of imports in the United States orange juice (OJ) market at the Sept. 16 Florida Citrus Commission meeting. Spreen is retired from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Spreen’s analysis began with increased imports in 2017 after Hurricane Irma struck Florida. Largely as a result of the storm, nearly 24 …

Growers Urged to Apply for CFAP Funds

Ernie NeffCOVID-19

Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks has joined Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in urging growers to apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The program will provide up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. “We are strongly urging you …

CRDF Defers Project Funding

Ernie NeffResearch

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors on Sept. 22 had a lengthy discussion about a nutrition research proposal from Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi. Ferrarezi is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Because of budgetary concerns expressed by CRDF, Ferrarezi cut $158,000 from his original proposed project …

citrus greening

Use More Micronutrients for HLB

Ernie NeffNutrition

HLB-affected citrus trees benefit from micronutrients at higher-than-recommended rates, Tripti Vashisth reported in a virtual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute presentation. Vashisth, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, said that a 20 percent higher-than-recommended rate of micronutrients can improve productivity in trees with HLB. The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute is normally held in Avon Park in …

Trade Issues for Fresh Florida Citrus

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus during the recent virtual citrus Packinghouse Day meeting. Richey, also a member of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, says foreign sales are especially important for Florida citrus.  One of the biggest topics of trade conversation is the effects on the market since the …