citrus

Citrus Industry Tightens Belt Amid Industry Woes

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida Citrus Commission, Industry News Release

by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida The Florida Department of Citrus plans to continue to squeeze its operations during the coming year as the industry struggles, though travelers will still be able to receive free orange juice at state welcome centers. The Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the department, approved a preliminary $17.5 million operating budget Wednesday that would …

Final Figure for Brazil’s 2016–17 Crop

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated the Florida orange crop at only 68 million boxes. The final number for the Brazilian 2016–17 crop was released by Fundecitrus on April 10 and was 245.31 million boxes. It is relevant to note an important point for the orange juice chain participants in Florida and São …

HLB

Growers Share HLB Frustrations and Experiences

Ernie NeffBactericides, HLB Management, Psyllids

Growers shared their frustrations and experiences with HLB at a May 4 grower roundtable meeting in Wauchula. Event co-host Steve Smith, executive director of Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association, summarizes the discussions. “A lot of the growers were talking about fertigation and how much, and what’s working for them on the short-term basis as far as tree health goes,” …

Global Perspectives

Brazil’s Shrinking Citrus Crop

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Global Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves The latest announcement of Brazil’s orange production is 244 million boxes, almost 2 percent smaller than the September estimate (249 million boxes) and 0.6 percent smaller than the May number (246 million boxes). Hot weather in October and November reduced the expected yields. The crop is predicted to be 18 percent less than last season, and …

hall of famer jim ellis

Hall of Famer Ellis on His Influencers and the Future

Ernie NeffCitrus

Recent Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inductee Jim Ellis of Bartow credits “God, my parents, my family and the members of the Florida citrus industry” for his success. Ellis was inducted on March 10, along with Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks and the late T. Ralph Robinson, in ceremonies at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. “My passion is to …

Citrus Research and Education Center Starts Centennial Celebration

Tacy CalliesCitrus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Nearly a century ago, a group of Polk County citrus growers raised about $14,000 to buy land for a research station. Now, the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Citrus Research and Education Center (Citrus REC). In 1917, UF/IFAS established the Citrus REC. Originally, only a few …

budget

Telling Millennials About Citrus

Ernie NeffCitrus, Florida Citrus Commission

Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Executive Director Shannon Shepp discusses the department’s mission and how it gets its message to its primary audience, millennials. Millennials are generally considered those born from 1977 to the mid-1990s. “Right now, remember, we have a declining availability of OJ (orange juice) worldwide. It’s very hard to increase sales of something you have declining supply …

florida citrus

USDA Citrus Crop Forecast Has Little Changes

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

Mark Hudson, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Agricultural Statistics Service, reported the December citrus crop forecast. Florida has no changes in non-Valencia or Valencia oranges. Grapefruit for the month dropped from 9.6 to 9.3 million boxes with white at 2 million boxes and red at 7.3 million boxes each. Tangerines and tangelos changed from 1.55 to 1.5 million boxes, …

Leadership Change at Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Update as of 1-4-17: Katie Marks has decided to stay with her current employer and will not be accepting the position as executive director with Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association. Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association (PRVCGA) Executive Director LeAnna Himrod announced she has accepted a new position as communications manager at the Florida Department of Citrus. Responsibilities in …

December Citrus Industry Features Annual Citrus Guide

Tacy CalliesCitrus

December is the time for Christmas trees, gift-giving and the annual Citrus Guide! The December issue of Citrus Industry magazine features our annual Citrus Guide. It’s a directory of contact information for citrus organizations, agencies, researchers and vendors. This is an issue readers will want to keep handy all year long. In addition to the Citrus Guide, this edition includes …

The Many Hats of Allen Morris

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Economics

By Tacy Callies Having grown up in the small north Florida town of Macclenny, a farming community, Allen Morris was introduced to agriculture at an early age. His father died in a tractor accident when Morris was seven, but that didn’t deter him from wanting to earn a living in agriculture. In fact, at 14, he obtained a restricted driver’s …

What to Expect from Brazil’s Next Citrus Season

Josh McGillGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves The first crop estimate was released in May for the 2016–17 citrus season in Brazil, which should be of great interest to Florida’s citrus industry. ACREAGE AND AGE The area of orange groves in Brazil, including all varieties, is 416,843 hectares (ha) —6.2 percent smaller than the 2015 figure. There was a considerable reduction of 27,882 …

HLB tolerance

Southern Gardens Citrus to Host HLB Webinar

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Citrus Greening

Rick Kress, senior vice president of research commercialization for Southern Gardens Citrus will present a webinar titled “Can We Live Without Citrus?” on August 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT. Can you imagine what your store would look like if the orange juice section was suddenly empty or produce shelves were void of all oranges, grapefruit, lemons and …

bactericides survey

Sparks Discusses Citrus Tariffs and PFD

Ernie NeffLegislative, Pests

Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks discusses the association’s annual conference this week, including the election of a new association president, the U.S. presidential race from a tariff perspective, and postbloom fruit drop (PFD). During the conference, Mutual’s trade attorney reported on presidential candidates’ views regarding tariffs, which can impact citrus trade. Sparks comments on that report: “When you hear …

selections

Fresh Market Selections for CUPS

Daniel CooperCUPS, Fresh

By John M. Chater Arnold Schumann, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), pioneered the citrus under protective screen (CUPS) production method in Florida. He started his CUPS work over 12 years ago to help provide horticultural tools to growers to continue producing high-quality fruit by means of …

citrus degreening

Five Keys to Successful Citrus Degreening

Daniel CooperTip of the Week

By Mark A. Ritenour Many Florida citrus varieties reach legal maturity before developing the bright orange or yellow peel color consumers expect. As a result, fresh-market fruit often require degreening, a postharvest process that exposes harvested fruit to low concentrations of ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that promotes chlorophyll breakdown and allows underlying yellow and orange carotenoid pigments to …

South Africa

South Africa Export Forecast and Concerns

Daniel CooperExport, International

The Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) of Southern Africa has lowered its South African citrus export forecast for the 2026 season. The association now estimates export volume of 205.3 million 15-kilogram cartons, down from the 209.4 million cartons projected before the season began. The adjustment is primarily due to lower export outlooks for mandarins, navel oranges and grapefruit. On the other …

citrus varieties

Unusual Citrus Varieties for Northern California

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Varieties

A recent University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) article described five “odd and unusual” citrus varieties that can be grown in northern California. They are Nagami kumquat, yuzu hybrid citrus, Flying Dragon orange, finger lime and Buddha’s Hand citron. The article noted that Nagami, yuzu and Flying Dragon are cold tolerant to well below freezing. Finger lime …

HLB-affected

Canopy Management Critical for HLB-Affected Citrus

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Production, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth, Meryam Manzoor and Johann Hiller Fruit quality and yield remain major concerns for sweet orange growers in the HLB era. Both are closely linked to the tree’s ability to support developing fruit throughout the season. Leaves are the primary source of carbohydrates needed for fruit growth, retention and juice development. Canopy density and leaf area directly influence …

American

USDA To Buy Fresh Citrus From American Growers

Daniel CooperFresh, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 23 announced its intent to purchase $32.5 million of fresh citrus from American growers. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935, will make the purchases. The fresh citrus will be distributed to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. The fresh citrus purchases will …