early-season

Seeking Early-Season Sweet Oranges

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, Varieties

HLB has reduced citrus production across the board, but early varieties like Hamlin have taken an even bigger hit. Hamlin has been plagued by the disease and fruit drop, which has left a void in the juice-processing segment in the early season. Growers who have been replanting have mostly relied on later-season varieties like Valencia because it seems to be …

trunk injection

Talking Trunk Injection at Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo, HLB Management

The educational program on the first day of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo focused on trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) being applied to citrus to treat HLB. Trees have received their second OTC treatment, and growers are hopeful trees will respond with better fruit retention and improved quality. Ute Albrecht, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

demand

Nurturing Demand Amid a Global OJ Shortage

Daniel CooperEconomics

By Marisa L. Zansler In May 2024, news of Brazil’s 2024–25 orange crop forecast declining from 307 million boxes to 232 million boxes — a 24% drop — sent frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) futures prices to historic highs. The futures price reached $4.87 per pound solids on May 28 before settling at $4.22 per pound solids at the end …

Florida

Sustaining Citrus Production in the HLB Era

Daniel CooperIrrigation, Nutrition

The virtues of daily irrigation and increased micronutrient applications were among key points researcher Davie Kadyampakeni made in an Aug. 13 discussion of citrus production in the HLB era. Kadyampakeni is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of soil, water and ecosystem sciences at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.  …

2024-25

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: What’s on Tap for 2024–25

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source

By Peter Chaires The New Varieties Development and Management Corp. (NVDMC) has awarded funding to citrus projects for the 2024–25 season. Exciting things are happening in crop transformation, but significant progress is also being made in conventional breeding. The NVDMC board continues to support conventional breeding projects, each with a focus on near-term results, while still setting a foundation for …

citrus forecast

Global Citrus Crops on the Rise

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Global production of tangerines/mandarins, grapefruit and lemons/limes is expected to climb in 2023–24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported in its Citrus: World Markets and Trade publication.  TANGERINES/MANDARINS Global tangerine/mandarin production for 2023–24 is estimated up 1.2 million tons to 38.2 million tons. Here are expectations for major producing countries: GRAPEFRUIT Global grapefruit production in …

projections

Inclement Weather Cuts South African Orange Export Projections

Daniel CooperExport, International

The Orange Focus Group of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) on July 23 cut its projections for navel and Valencia orange exports in the 2024 season. NAVELS The projected number of 15-kilogram cartons of navel orange exports is now 21 million. That continues the downward trajectory that was started in May when the season-opening estimate of 25.7 …

Australian

Update on Global Orange and OJ Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Global orange production for 2023–24 is expected to rise slightly while orange juice (OJ) production dips. This forecast is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) Citrus: World Markets and Trade July report. ORANGES Global orange production for 2023–24 is estimated to rise 1% to 47.4 million tons. Lower production in Brazil and the European Union …

South African

South African Citrus Crops See Gains

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

South African grapefruit, tangerine/mandarin and lemon production are all projected to increase in 2023–24 compared to the prior year, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) semi-annual report. GRAPEFRUIT The 2023–24 forecast for grapefruit production is now 420,000 metric tons (MT), up from 415,000 MT the prior year. Of that, 202,000 MT is expected to …

Davie

PIECES OF THE PAST: Davie – South Florida’s Historic Citrus Center

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette In the early 1900s, Florida Governor Napoleon Broward (1905–09) persuaded the Legislature to drain the Everglades and finance a canal system by selling off large blocks of land for $2 per acre. Once drained, the area housed rich fertile soil and, in 1906, millionaire R.P. Davie bought almost 28,000 acres. By 1909, settlers arrived in response …

june

All In For Citrus Podcast, July 2024

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast

As citrus growers try to stabilize production in the midst of endemic HLB, maintaining the industry’s infrastructure is critically important. Two key sectors of that infrastructure are citrus nurseries and juice processors. In the July episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research …

nutrient

Citrus Nutrient Research Update

Daniel CooperNutrition, Tip of the Week

By Davie Kadyampakeni, Muhammad Shahid and Alisheikh Atta Current citrus nutrient guidelines are based on studies of healthy citrus trees conducted in the pre-huanglongbing (HLB) era. These guidelines may no longer be valid for the present situation where 100% of mature citrus trees in Florida are HLB-affected. Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …

commission

South Africa’s Orange and OJ Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

South Africa’s orange and orange juice (OJ) production are projected to increase in 2023–24 compared to the prior year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported recently. ORANGES Orange production for 2023–24 is forecast to increase to 1.69 million metric tons (MMT), from 1.63 MMT the prior year. The South African area planted in oranges is …

plan

‘OG’ to Promote Florida OJ

Daniel CooperFlorida Department of Citrus, Marketing, Orange Juice

A new Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) ad campaign is likely to use the term “OG” extensively, according to new FDOC marketing agency Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc. So, what does “OG” mean? Michelle Amoroso of Padilla explained that an OG is someone who is an original or originator, highly regarded and respected. She added that OGs are the paradigm; they …

export expectations

Export Expectations Changed for Moroccan Citrus

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Export expectations are the only major changes made in a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) semi-annual citrus report for Morocco. Production forecasts remain the same as in the agency’s December 2023 annual citrus report.Here’s a look at the export changes: TANGERINES/MANDARINS Tangerine/mandarin export expectations for 2023–24 were revised down to 400,000 metric tons (MT) from …

global

Slight Changes in European Citrus Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projected a slight decrease in European orange production in 2023–24 and a slight increase in orange juice (OJ) and grapefruit production. ORANGES The USDA FAS semi-annual report projects 2023–24 EU orange production at 5.475 million metric tons (MMT), down from the already short prior-year crop of 5.58 MMT. Orange production …

difficult

Task Force and Credit Line to Assist Brazil with Greening

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management

Fundecitrus recently announced two efforts aimed at assisting Brazilian growers with citrus greening. A São Paulo task force will include a focus on the disease, and a credit line will be available for growers with greening in their orchards. In addition to greening, the public/private task force will address development of biofertilizer and biological research, studies to increase productivity in …

Millennium Block

Millennium Block Research Shows Promising Results

Daniel CooperGrapefruit, Indian River, Research

A recent update of Millennium Block research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce indicates the 5,500 trees in the project are yielding promising results. The four trials within the Millennium Block aim to unlock the genetic potential of new scion and rootstock hybrids never tested …

food prices

Sustaining Citrus in the Face of Rising Food Prices

Daniel CooperEconomics, Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus

The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Consumer Orange Juice Tracker shows that consumers are increasingly reporting changes in their food shopping behaviors in response to rising food prices. From 2018 to 2024, the percentage of consumers who reported no change in their shopping behaviors has consistently decreased, dropping from 21% in 2018 to an estimated 18% in 2024. In contrast, …

market

Türkiye Orange and OJ Production to Climb

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Türkiye is expected to produce substantially more oranges and orange juice (OJ) in 2023–24 than in the prior season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported recently. ORANGES The orange yield is forecast to increase 31% to 1.73 million metric tons due to favorable weather conditions in spring 2023, USDA FAS stated in a semi-annual report. …