By Clint Thompson Growers and industry leaders are ready for the return of the Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo in August, says Josh McGill, show director. After being held virtually in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, the annual two-day event returns in-person this year. “Not only are we excited but the exhibitors are excited. The sponsors and growers we’ve …
Final Citrus Forecast Released
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its final citrus production forecast on Monday. The 2020-2021 Florida orange forecast is 52.8 million boxes, edged out by California’s 54.5 million boxes. Texas oranges remained at 1.05 million boxes. Click on citrusindustry.net to see about in-depth forecasts for oranges, grapefruit, lemons and tangerines. The first forecast of the 2021-2022 season will be released …
Registration Ongoing for Citrus Expo, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo
Registration is ongoing for those interested in attending this year’s Citrus Expo and Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo, scheduled for Aug. 18-19 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. The key issues that are impacting Florida’s citrus, vegetable and specialty crop producers will be discussed during this year’s event. How are unfair trade practices by Mexico impacting …
Packinghouse Day: Annual Citrus Event Returns In-Person This Year
The annual UF/IFAS Citrus Packinghouse Day will return as an in-person event on Aug. 26 at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. The free event will feature workshops and seminars for industry professionals. Interstate and export regulations, food safety regulations, training opportunities and postharvest fruit processing improvements highlight some of the topics of this year’s …
Commissioner Fried Comments on USDA Citrus Forecast
Tallahassee, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released updated projections[ ] for citrus production in the 2020-21 season on Thursday. The June forecast projects a 2% increase for Florida Oranges, a one million box increase to 52.7 million boxes, up from 51.7 million boxes in May. This includes a 3% increase in Florida Valencia Oranges. Florida Grapefruit production …
Florida Citrus Forecast Continues Improvement
Florida’s citrus forecast for the 2020-21 season continues to improve but lags behind the previous season. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Florida’s all orange forecast was at 52.7 million boxes 2.37 million tons. This is an improvement of 2% from the previous forecast but still a decrease of 22% from last year’s final utilization. Florida’s early, midseason and …
Rubio, Scott Urge Reimplementation of Prohibition on Chinese Citrus Imports
Florida’s two U.S. Senators implored U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week to re-implement a prohibition on the importation of five varieties of citrus fruits from China. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to Vilsack this week in an effort to protect Florida’s citrus growers. The lletter focused on potentially exposing the state’s …
New Tool in the Toolbox for Citrus Growers?
APOPKA, Fla. — Florida citrus producers need all the help they can get in combating the citrus greening disease. What about a tool that could aid trees already suffering from the disease? University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences may have a new in the citrus toolbox. Researchers found that injecting a benign Xylella fastidiosa EB92-1 bacteria biocontrol …
Minimum Changes: USDA Updates Citrus Crop Forecast
Reductions in the projected Florida grapefruit and tangerine/tangelo crops were the only changes in the May 12 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reduced Florida’s grapefruit crop projection by 2%, to 4.2 million boxes, down from 4.3 million boxes in April. The total 100,000-box reduction was in red grapefruit, which dipped to …
Beneficial Insects Another Tool in Toolbox for Citrus Producers
By Clint Thompson Beneficial insects could be a citrus producer’s best friend. In a time when farmers are applying insecticides to control Asian citrus psyllids, the vector of citrus greening disease, it’s important to preserve the psyllid’s natural enemies, like lady beetles and lacewings. Jawwad Qureshi, University of Florida Assistant Professor in Entomology, implores growers to scout their groves periodically …
