Texas

Texas Mexfly Quarantine Areas Altered

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) made changes to two Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas on Dec. 6. They reduced the Brownsville Mexfly quarantine area in Cameron County and the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexfly quarantine area in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. However, on Dec. 20, …

orange production

Orange Production in Egypt

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) has forecast Egypt’s orange production to decrease by almost 12% in 2024–25, to 3.7 million metric tons (MMT). The decrease is attributed to higher temperatures for long periods at the beginning of the fruit set, which negatively impacts production. Most of Egypt’s orange production comes from commercial farms on reclaimed desert …

Joyner

Joyner Honored With UF Distinguished Alumnus Award

Daniel CooperAwards

The University of Florida honored College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) alumnus Michael Joyner (Bachelor of Science, 1986) with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the agriculture industry and his dedication to serving the university. Throughout his career, Joyner has made a lasting impact on the lives of agriculturists, shaping policies and initiatives …

Korea’s

Update on Korea’s Citrus Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently forecast that Korea’s tangerine/mandarin production will decline 2.6% in marketing year 2024–25, to 565,000 metric tons (MT). Korea doesn’t produce oranges or grapefruit and only a small crop of lemons — an estimated 550 MT on 35 hectares in 2023. LOW FORECAST The tangerine/mandarin forecast, if realized, would be the …

China

China Has Changes in Orange and OJ Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

China, the world’s largest citrus producer, is forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) to produce 7.62 million metric tons (MMT) of oranges in marketing year 2024–25. That’s a slight reduction from prior year production of 7.63 MMT. A range of weather-related issues is threatening orange production, including persistent rain in April and May that …

orange and tangerine

Orange and Tangerine Production in Argentina

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Argentine orange and tangerine production are both forecast to decline in 2024–25 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS). Orange production is projected at 620,000 metric tons (MT), down from 760,000 MT the prior year. Tangerine production is projected at 200,000 MT, down from 280,000 MT. REGIONS AND VARIETIES Sweet citrus is grown in both the …

Florida Citrus Show

Registration Is Open for the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel CooperCitrus, Events, FCS24, Florida Citrus Show

The Florida Citrus Show is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025. The event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The Florida Citrus Show combines educational seminars for both …

Medfly

Medfly Quarantine Expanded Again

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

Twice in December, agriculture officials expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine area in California’s Alameda and Santa Clara counties, designated the Fremont quarantine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) made the expansions Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. The quarantine was expanded in response to …

South African

Small Changes for South African Orange Industry

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

South African orange production and area under production are both forecast to increase by 1% in 2024–25 compared to the prior year. Orange juice production is projected to climb 4%. The forecasts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) are for 1.69 million metric tons (MMT) of orange production, 44,500 hectares of oranges planted, and orange …

Costa Rican

Costa Rican Orange Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) expects Costa Rican orange production to increase approximately 11% in 2024–25, to 250,000 metric tons. Production in 2023–24 was lower than expected at 225,000 metric tons as a result of erratic rainfall patterns associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon. The area planted in oranges is expected to remain unchanged …

Texas

Mexfly Quarantine Expanded in Texas

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

Agriculture officials on Nov. 18 expanded the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Donna, Hidalgo County, Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) took the action. Expansion of the Donna quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on Nov. 14 of a Mexfly larva in fruit …

Florida citrus industry

Adams, Graham and Richey to Join Hall of Fame

Daniel CooperAwards

The late Charles W. Adams, James H. “Jim” Graham and Daniel R. “Dan” Richey will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame March 28, 2025. ADAMS Adams (1879–1945) was a partner in Adams Packing Association and Growers Fertilizer Corporation. He impacted the citrus industry with his progressive ideas for growth. Adams moved from Michigan to Florida in 1911 …

APHIS

APHIS Helps Save $10 Million Citrus Shipment

Daniel CooperExport/Import, Trade

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently told how it helped turn a potential disaster involving a citrus-laden ship into a success story. On Aug. 12, APHIS Plant Safeguarding Specialist David Kleinguenther learned that the cold treatment process aboard the marine vessel Regal Bay had likely failed. The ship, arriving in Philadelphia, was carrying …

Mexfly quarantine

Mexfly Quarantine Changes Impact Texas Citrus

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) recently took several actions regarding Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas. On Oct. 9, they expanded the Mexfly quarantine in Donna, Hidalgo County. On Oct. 11, they reduced a portion of the Harlingen-Sebastian Mexfly quarantine area in Cameron, Hidalgo and …

Medfly

Medfly Quarantine Expanded in California

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara counties in California twice in October. The expansions are in response to the confirmed detections between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 of 22 wild female Medflies, 14 …

quarantine areas

Mexfly Quarantine Areas Expanded and Consolidated in Texas

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) have expanded the Harlingen and Sebastian Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas and consolidated them into a single quarantine area, now termed the Harlingen-Sebastian quarantine. The quarantine area spans portions of Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. DETECTIONS AND EXPANSIONS …

Hurricane Milton

Alico on Hurricane Milton Damage

Daniel Cooperhurricane

Initial assessments indicate that Alico, Inc. sustained minimal tree damage and some fruit drop from Hurricane Milton. The company stated that its approximately 48,000 acres of citrus groves in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and Polk counties, Florida, sustained hurricane or tropical storm force winds for varying durations of time. Initial observations include measurable drop of fruit from trees …

pest risk

Pest Risk Assessment of Importing Citrus from Botswana

Daniel CooperInternational, Pests, Trade

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) has drafted a pest risk assessment (PRA) that describes potential pests associated with importing fresh commercially produced citrus fruits from Botswana into the United States. The PRA evaluates pest risk presented by lemon, grapefruit, mandarin and sweet orange from Botswana for consumption. The entry of these citrus fruits …

Bournique

Bournique to Serve Fifth Term on Water Board

Daniel CooperIndian River, Water

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently reappointed Indian River Citrus League (IRCL) Executive Vice President Doug Bournique to a fifth four-year term on the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board. According to IRCL, being reappointed to a fifth term is “unprecedented in the history of the water management district.” “There remains so much more to do in supporting …

labor

Farmworker Protection Rule Challenged

Daniel CooperLabor, Legal

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) has joined several agricultural associations and individual farmers in a lawsuit challenging a federal farmworker protection rule. The Department of Labor (DOL) rule is titled Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States. NCAE stated that the rule unlawfully violates the rights of America’s farm and ranch families. It …