Steven M. “Steve” Smith has been named executive vice president/general manager of the Gulf Citrus Growers Association (GCGA). He will begin his employment at GCGA on Aug. 1, 2018. Smith previously was employed by Alico, Inc., Babcock Ranch Management and the Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association, where he served as executive director. Smith is a graduate of the University …
Growers Hear About Hurricane Recovery Funding
Approximately 120 growers attended a Monday night meeting in Lake Alfred to learn about eligibility and application requirements for federal relief funds in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Irma hit the Florida citrus industry hard in September 2017. The federal government only recently ironed out details of a citrus relief program for growers totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The …
Growers Discuss Production Levels
The level of fruit production in groves was one of the major topics discussed at a citrus grower roundtable meeting on May 15 in Wauchula, Florida. Several growers said their per-acre production increased this season, but one said he had huge production declines. One grower said his Valencia crop doubled. Another said he had a 50 percent crop increase, adding …
Gulf Citrus Growers Association Accepting Applications for New Administrator
The Gulf Citrus Growers Association’s (GCGA) Executive and Long-Range Planning Committees recently announced that the association is now accepting applications for the organization’s executive vice president/general manager position. The GCGA leadership is actively engaged in the search for the association’s next top administrator. The position will be vacated in late September by Ron Hamel, who has led the Southwest Florida …
Citrus Growers Needed for Survey Participation
Ariel Singerman, University of Florida assistant professor, will be conducting his annual production cost survey for processed oranges grown in Southwest Florida. The survey will consist of grower meetings in two locations. The first meeting will take place on May 18 at 9:00 a.m. at the Hendry County Extension Office (Dallas Townsend Ag Center) in LaBelle. To confirm your participation in …
Bloom Good, but Growers ‘Waiting on Pins and Needles’
Citrus bloom has been good this year, but growers are anxious to see what fruit set will be this summer, says Highlands County grower Ned Hancock. “We were encouraged by the bloom,” Hancock says. “Everybody was scared after (Hurricane) Irma, (about) what would happen. We’re all kind of waiting on pins and needles to see what kind of crop we …
Exclusive: Perdue Discusses Hurricane Aid for Growers
On May 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released details about the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP), which includes financial aid to growers impacted by Hurricane Irma and other natural disasters. The information covered everything from eligibility to the formula that will be used to calculate payments. AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor had the opportunity to get some exclusive …
Sales Tax Rebate for Growers Who Suffered Hurricane Damage
The Florida Legislature and Governor Rick Scott have approved a sales tax rebate program for agricultural producers and growers who suffered damages due to Hurricane Irma. Florida Farm Bureau has offered a dedicated webpage as a resource to farmers and ranchers who can take advantage of this opportunity at www.FloridaFarmBureau.org/hurricanetaxrebate. On March 23, Governor Rick Scott signed a sales tax …
Tree Assistance Program Tweaked to Help Citrus Growers
By Michael W. Sparks Florida Citrus Mutual, the citrus industry and our Congressional delegation continue to work with Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam on obtaining federal relief payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for citrus groves damaged by Hurricane Irma. Once specifics are unveiled, we will get them to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I wanted …
Georgia Department of Ag Assisting Citrus Growers with Marketing
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is working to promote the ever-growing Georgia citrus industry. Matthew Kulinski, deputy director of marketing for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, led a presentation at the Georgia Citrus Association Conference to inform growers that the department’s marketing division can help them. As the Georgia citrus industry expands, it is important for growers to know how …
Citrus Growers Should Purchase Crop Insurance by April 15
By Michael W. Sparks The Hurricane Irma Florida citrus relief package is moving forward and Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) expect U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to unveil the program sometime in the next few weeks. FCM is in contact with our allies in Washington and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s staff on a daily basis. Once the news breaks, we …
Growers Lose Lawsuit to Continue Ban on Argentinian Lemons
By Brian German The ban on Argentinian lemons will not be reinstated after growers lost a lawsuit filed in May 2017, trying to keep the imports out of the United States. The lawsuit filed by the U.S. Citrus Science Council, along with five growers, claimed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ignored science and based its reasons to lift …
Citrus Growers in Waiting Game for Hurricane Aid
Frustration is growing among Florida citrus growers awaiting the distribution of $2.36 billion in federal disaster-relief money for agriculture losses sustained in Hurricane Irma. “We’re still waiting, maybe not as patiently as we were to start with,” Florida Citrus Commission Chairman G. Ellis Hunt said Wednesday. President Donald Trump signed the disaster-relief package in February, five months after Hurricane Irma …
On-Farm Readiness Reviews Help Growers with Produce Safety Rule
By Travis K. Chapin, Keith R. Schneider, Renée Goodrich Schneider, Jessica Lepper, Rachel McEgan and Michelle D. Danyluk The Produce Safety Rule (PSR) was published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Federal Register in November 2015 as one of seven major new regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The PSR covers activities related to …
Gulf Citrus Growers’ Hamel Announces Retirement
After nearly 30 years of service as executive vice president/general manager of the Gulf Citrus Growers Association, Ron Hamel announced his retirement as the organization’s chief administrator. Hamel began working for the Gulf Citrus Growers Association in May of 1988, opening the association’s office in LaBelle, Florida, to support the development of the citrus industry in Southwest Florida, locally referred …
Jude Grosser: Giving Growers Better Options
By Tacy Callies Some people start young adulthood by following in their parents’ footsteps. Jude Grosser began by following the path of his oldest brother, Tim, instead. Both went to Thomas More College and majored in biology. After that, their education and careers took different turns. Grosser thought he would work in wildlife or fisheries, but then had an opportunity …
HLB Issues Below the Soil Surface Intrigue Growers
Several citrus growers and production managers offered input on future HLB research at a meeting on Feb. 15 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. The growers shared their thoughts with members of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s Research Management Committee (CRDF-RMC). David Howard, CRDF-RMC chairman, provides an overview of the approximately three-hour session called specifically …
When Can Growers Expect to Receive Relief Funds?
Florida growers can now breathe a sigh of relief since disaster funding is coming their way. On Feb. 9, a relief package was passed to help the United States following the array of natural disasters in 2017, which included approximately $2.4 billion dollars specifically for U.S. agriculture. However, the big question on everyone’s mind is, how and when will growers …
California Citrus Research Board: Serving Growers for 50 Years
By Len Wilcox The grower-funded California Citrus Research Board (CRB) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Headquartered in the Central Valley city of Visalia, under the direction of president/CEO Gary Schulz, the CRB awards more than $7 million each year to researchers throughout California. Since 2008, CRB has focused much of its efforts on huanglongbing (HLB), with approximately $33 …
Events Educate Growers on Cold-Tolerant Citrus
Events across the Southeast are being held to help meet growers’ needs for information and resources on growing cold-tolerant citrus. Many north Florida and south Georgia growers are interested in these crops as weather patterns begin to shift. One event was Cold Tolerant Citrus Production for the Southeastern Coastal Plain, held on Dec. 13. “We’re trying to have a meeting …