Mississippi

Texas Mexfly Quarantine Expanded

Josh McGillPests, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) expanded the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. This expansion follows confirmed detections from Feb. 3 to Feb. 28 of 15 Mexfly adults in citrus at various residential sites. As a result of the detections, the …

OJ Is Half of Household Juice Purchases

Josh McGillCitrus, Florida Department of Citrus, Orange Juice

Orange juice (OJ) recently accounted for more than half of the fruit juice purchased by households, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) economist Marisa Zansler told the Florida Citrus Commission on March 16. Citing a report on the Household Purchase Dynamics in the Beverage Category, Zansler added that grapefruit juice represented only about 1.5% of fruit juice sales. All fruit juice …

Mandarin Crop Losing Ground in Europe

Josh McGillInternational, Mandarins, Trade

In 2021–22, European Union (EU) mandarin production is forecast to decline 7.5% from the previous year to 2.9 million metric tons (MMT), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. EU mandarin production may also be almost 5.5% lower than the 10-year average production of 3.1 MMT. The shortage in EU mandarin production is mainly the result of …

Picking Favorites at Florida Citrus Variety Display Day

Josh McGillCitrus, Florida, Varieties

The horticultural characteristics of new citrus varieties are important, especially in the era of HLB when disease tolerance is critical. But how the fruit tastes and other consumer attributes are equally important. That’s why citrus variety display days are vital in citrus breeding. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in …

Grapefruit Crop to Rise in European Union

Josh McGillGrapefruit, International

European Union (EU) grapefruit production is forecast to grow 2.8% to 108,000 metric tons (MT) in 2021–22, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The increase is due to an almost 4% expected increase in Spanish grapefruit production. Spain is the major EU grapefruit producer at 84,000 MT. EU grapefruit planted area stands at around 3,600 hectares …

Focus on Australian Citrus Safety

Josh McGillCitrus, Export/Import, Food Safety, International

Citrus Australia reported on a new project focused on food safety in citrus. The project aims to mitigate microbial food-safety risks associated with the production, postharvest handling and supply of citrus to consumers in domestic and export markets. S.P. Singh with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries will lead the project. The Australian citrus industry exports oranges and …

Outlook for Global Citrus Production

Josh McGillGlobal Perspectives, Grapefruit, International, lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Orange Juice

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service recently released global 2021–22 production estimates for citrus categories and orange juice. Here are highlights from the report, titled Citrus: World Markets and Trade. ORANGESGlobal orange production for 2021–22 is estimated up 1.4 million tons from the previous year to 48.8 million tons. Favorable weather is leading to larger crops in Brazil, …

European Union to Produce Less Lemons

Josh McGillInternational, lemons

European Union (EU) lemon production is forecast at 1.57 million metric tons (MMT) in 2021–22, a decrease of almost 9% from the previous season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported. The decrease is due to expected crop reductions for the EU’s main lemon producers, Spain and Italy, even though the area planted with lemons continued trending upward …

Water, Labor Boost Australia Crop

Ernie NeffInternational

Increased water availability and the expectation of more harvest labor, along with increased planting area, are reasons for the citrus crop forecast increase in Australia, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). FAS recently reported that the total planted area of navel and Valencia oranges in Australia has increased by 14% from 15,307 hectares (ha) in …

Orange Crop to Decline in Europe

Josh McGillInternational, Production

European Union (EU) orange production is forecast at 6.1 million metric tons (MMT) for 2021–22 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. That’s 6% lower than the previous season and 3.3% lower than the EU’s 10-year average of 6.3 MMT. PRODUCTIONSpain and Italy represent 80% of the EU’s total production of oranges. The remaining 20% is distributed among …

Updated Brazilian OJ Projection

Ernie NeffBrazil, Orange Juice

The total Brazilian frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) 65 Brix equivalent production for 2021-22 is projected at 1.123 million metric tons (MMT). That projection, which is an increase of 16% compared to orange juice production for 2020-21, was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).   The São Paulo industry is expected to process 265 million …

Apply for a Gulf Citrus Scholarship by Dec. 31

Ernie NeffScholarship

The citrus growers of southwest Florida are committed to supporting education as a long-term investment in the future of the industry. The first Gulf Citrus scholarship was awarded in 1992 through the Gulf Citrus Growers Association, a trade organization representing growers in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties. The Gulf Citrus Growers Association Scholarship Foundation was established in 2000 …

Grapefruit Issues Tackled by Mutual

Ernie NeffGrapefruit

The Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) Triangle newsletter recently updated efforts to have the federal government rescind an action that suspended the juice content requirements on imported grapefruit. In early October, the domestic grapefruit industry was made aware of a “patch” that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had issued in April of this year suspending the juice content requirements on …

Costa Rica Orange Production to Rebound

Ernie NeffInternational

Costa Rica’s orange production is expected to rebound to 300,000 metric tons in the 2021-2022 season, pushing total orange juice exports slightly higher to 33,000 metric tons. That estimate was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service in December. Orange production in Costa Rica was 290,000 metric tons in 2020-21 and 285,000 metric tons in 2019-20.     …

Australia Launches New Citrus Biosecurity Program

Ernie NeffDiseases, Pests

In recognition of biosecurity threats such as HLB, a new five-year biosecurity program, CitrusWatch, has been launched in Australia. This program is funded by Hort Innovation through the citrus R&D levy and by Plant Health Australia (PHA) using the citrus plant health levy. The program is led by PHA, with Citrus Australia coordinating program activities. The Northern Territory Department of Industry Tourism …

Florida Citrus Packers

Citrus Hall of Fame Names New Inductees

Ernie NeffAwards

George F. Hamner Jr., of Vero Beach, and the late A. Tillis Edwards Jr. and Edward A. Taylor, both of Lakeland, will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 2022. The inductions will take place during a Citrus Celebration Luncheon scheduled for Oct. 14 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. A. TILLIS EDWARDS JR. Edwards was a …

South Korea

Texas Growers Stand to Lose $70.5 Million Due to Mexican Grapefruit Imports

Tacy CalliesExport/Import, Grapefruit

A new report written by Luis A. Ribera, Landyn Young and Dan Hanselka of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service outlines the damage imported grapefruit is having on the U.S. grapefruit industry. The report is titled “Economic Impacts of the Suspension of Juice Content Requirement on Imported Grapefruits from Mexico.” “The U.S. Standards for Grades of Florida Grapefruit and Marketing …

citrus forecast

Florida Citrus Packers: Fix Grapefruit Import Action Now

Ernie NeffExport/Import, Grapefruit

Florida Citrus Packers recently called for a fix to a so-called “patch” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allegedly creates unfair advantages for Mexico and other countries over domestic grapefruit producers. Citrus Industry previously reported that the agriculture commissioners for Florida and Texas wrote letters protesting the USDA action.   Florida Citrus Packers Executive Vice President Peter Chaires …

Grapefruit Import Action Protested

Ernie NeffExport/Import, Grapefruit

The state agriculture commissioners for Florida and Texas recently urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to reinstate juice content requirements on grapefruit imports. They stated that a so-called “patch” issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture creates unfair advantages for Mexico and other countries over domestic grapefruit producers. “There appears to have been a ‘patch’ quietly …

International Marketing Efforts for Florida Citrus

Ernie NeffFlorida Department of Citrus, Marketing

The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) described its 2020-21 international marketing efforts at last month’s meeting of the Florida Citrus Commission, which governs the FDOC. Katie Bruce, international marketing manager, discussed the FDOC’s past-year programs in the United Kingdom (UK), France, Japan, South Korea and Canada for fresh grapefruit and orange juice. Bruce also presented an overview of preliminary 2021-22 …