Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) Chairman Steve Johnson recently shared his thoughts on the Florida Department of Citrus’ (FDOC) marketing programs. “As the budget has decreased over the past couple of years, and into next year, the FCC has placed a stronger emphasis on the need for the FDOC to utilize data to track their programs,” said Johnson. “Performance has played …
State Legislature Supports Florida Citrus
Landon Hoffman, director of government affairs for Florida Citrus Mutual, recently provided a recap of Florida legislative actions impacting the citrus industry: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget, which goes into effect on July 1. This year’s budget included more than $65 million to support Florida citrus, the highlight being more than $30 million for the CRAFT (Citrus …
Highlights from the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference
Florida Citrus Mutual provided a summary of its Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference held in June: After a year full of challenges, the 2023 Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference once again offered an opportunity for more than 500 growers, allied members, family and friends to come together and focus on the highlights of the year and the promise of better …
CRDF Research Priorities Include Trunk-Injection Therapy
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) held its June board of directors meeting in conjunction with Florida Citrus Mutual’s Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in Bonita Springs. The June gathering is when the CRDF board passes its budget for the next year. The board funded a project by Zhanao Deng, professor of environmental horticulture with the University of Florida …
Angle Calls for Faster Research Progress on HLB
Scott Angle, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, began the educational session during the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference with a message of urgency. He recognized the critical threat posed by HLB and said science could catch up to the problem. “Plant sciences are advancing globally at almost …
House Passes Block Grant Assistance Act
Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18) announced the House of Representatives passed the Block Grant Assistance Act on June 12. This critical bill provides needed authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue block grants to growers devastated by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. Those supporting the Block Grant Assistance Act include Florida …
2023 Citrus Achievement Award Winner Announced
Florida Grower magazine chose Glenn Beck as the 2023 Citrus Achievement Award winner. He is featured in the magazine’s June cover story. For more than 20 years, the people who have won the award have helped shape the history of the state’s citrus sector. Some years, selecting a winner is an easy process because the person checks so many boxes. …
Projects Selected for Existing Tree Therapies Program
The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation received nearly 700 eligible applications — representing more than 42,000 acres — for its new Existing Tree Therapies Program. A random lottery drawing was recently conducted by a third party, and 159 projects have been selected for inclusion in the program. The remaining applications have been placed on a waitlist. CRAFT staff …
Florida Budget Includes $65 Million for Citrus
This year’s Florida state budget, established by the Legislature in early May, is the largest in history at nearly $115 billion. Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) reported that approximately $65 million was allocated to the citrus industry. FCM itemized what was allocated to the citrus industry prior to Gov. Ron DeSantis signing the budget: Additionally, the Department of Agriculture package bill …
Hurricane Relief Act Advances
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture on May 11 reported favorably on a bill that would provide relief to Florida agriculture producers harmed by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. The Block Grant Assistance Act is a bill to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can provide that relief. The bill will head to the U.S. House floor for …
Growers Share First Impressions of Trunk Injection
The Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association (PRVCGA) hosted growers and industry members on National Orange Juice Day to discuss early experiences with trunk injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl). Two new OTC-HCl products, ReMedium TI and Rectify, were registered this season for use as an HLB treatment in Florida citrus. While some growers are taking a wait-and-see approach to trunk …
Alico Discusses Second Quarter Status
Alico, Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. For the six months ended March 31, 2023, the company reported net loss of approximately $10.9 million, compared to net income of approximately $30.8 million for the six months ended March 31, 2022. This was primarily due to 1) the timing of the gains on sale of …
Florida Citrus Mutual Elects Directors
In voting that ended April 21, Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) grower members elected a board of directors for the 2023–25 seasons. Of FCM’s 10 districts, only districts 4 and 7 required elections. “All other districts received the correct number of nominations for available seats,” said Matt Joyner, FCM executive vice president/chief executive officer. The directors are: District 1 representing Hernando, …
Actions Against H-2A Wage Rule
Federal legislators have followed through on previously announced plans to try to overturn the Department of Labor’s (DOL) rule to determine wages for temporary foreign agricultural workers under the H-2A program. H-2A workers harvest a majority of Florida’s citrus crop. Legislators introduced House and Senate Congressional Review Act resolutions to nullify the DOL’s adverse effect wage rates (AEWRs) methodology rule. …
Citrus Growers Speak Up at Farm Bill Meeting
Citrus growers discussed their challenges and voiced their needs during a farm bill listening session held April 24 in Newberry, Florida. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, along with bipartisan members, including Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-01), listened to …
Benefits of Increasing Citrus Hybrids in Orange Juice
Allowing citrus hybrids with certain criteria in orange juice (OJ) was one of several issues addressed in a recent workshop about potential changes to OJ’s standard of identity. Peter Chaires, executive director of the New Varieties Development and Management Corp., discussed benefits of increasing the hybrid allowance in OJ. Chaires presented a consumer study of juices conducted by University of …
Disaster Relief Discussed at Annual Meeting
The Highlands Country Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) held its annual meeting in early March, celebrating 33 years of service to its membership. The event turned out a packed house in Sebring, with growers optimistic despite a challenging season. Matt Joyner, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, spoke during the event and outlined a busy list …
OJ Standard of Identity Discussed
No action was taken after numerous speakers discussed potential changes to the standard of identity for orange juice (OJ) at a March 1 public workshop. Taking place at Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) headquarters in Bartow, the workshop was titled “Continuing the OJ Standards Conversation.” FCM Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Joyner offered background on the standard of …
Legislation Introduced in Hurricane Relief Effort
Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Block Grant Assistance Act of 2023, a critical bill to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can provide needed relief to agriculture producers devastated by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. This bill will provide the agriculture secretary needed authority to provide block grants to …
Guidelines for ReMedium TI Use
Trunk injection of the oxytetracycline hydrochloride formulation ReMedium TI for HLB treatment was given final clearance Jan. 11. The product began moving into the Florida citrus industry that same day. Consequently, the product’s manufacturer and the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation both issued reminders and recommendations about the product’s use. Manufacturer TJ BioTech, LLC suggested the following things …