By Ashley McLeod-Morin Due to the nature of their work during the extreme heat of summer, those who work on farms are at a higher risk for heat-related illnesses than the general population. The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, led by the University of Florida, has compiled heat illness educational resources (see tinyurl.com/2u5mh642) for farmers and farmworkers …
Sen. Ossoff Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Georgia’s Citrus Industry
Washington D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is leading the charge to support Georgia’s farmers and strengthen the state’s growing citrus industry. Sen. Ossoff introduced the Georgia Citrus Development Act of 2023 to ensure Georgia citrus growers have a seat at the table when guiding key decisions for the industry. Sen. Ossoff’s bill would add a new Georgia member to …
Georgia Citrus Growers Get Valuable Resources
Since Georgia’s citrus industry is still in its infancy, leaders are determined to educate growers about the resources that are available to them. With help from Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently hosted an event to share many of those resources with growers. The meet-and-greet workshop took place July 12 at …
CRAFT Accepting Applications for Existing Tree Therapies Program
The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation has reopened the application window for its Existing Tree Therapies Program. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Aug. 31. Participants will be selected through a random lottery, administered by a third-party entity. The program is designed to provide the industry with a better understanding of the best use patterns, combinations and …
Final U.S. Citrus Forecast Has Several Changes
The final U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) citrus forecast for the 2022–23 season, issued July 12, has several changes from the June forecast. FLORIDAFlorida’s all-orange forecast rose approximately 1% to 15.85 million boxes, up 100,000 boxes from June. The full increase is in the Valencia orange forecast, which rose to 9.7 million boxes. Florida’s all-grapefruit …
Speeding Up the Screening Process for HLB Therapies
By Frank Giles While it remains to be seen if trunk injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) is a game changer in the fight against HLB, it certainly has intensified the conversation about the potential for antimicrobial treatments. There are literally hundreds of materials that might be effective at reducing the HLB bacteria in trees, but it has been a slow …
CRAFT a Popular Program for GrowersÂ
During the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference earlier this month, Tamara Wood, executive director of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation, gave an update on a new phase of the CRAFT program. Started in 2019, CRAFT was initially focused on new plantings. The program helps growers cover the cost of new plantings if they agree to an experimental …
Angle Recognizes Urgency of HLB ResearchÂ
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 the speed …
Glenn Beck Receives Citrus Achievement Award Trophy
By Frank Giles Florida Citrus Mutual celebrated its 75th Citrus Industry Annual Conference in Bonita Springs, Florida, last week. During the event’s industry luncheon, Glenn Beck was presented with the Citrus Achievement Award trophy. The award is presented by AgNet Media and is sponsored by Florida Citrus Mutual. Beck concluded his two-year tenure serving as Mutual’s president during the conference. …
The 2023 Citrus Achievement Award Winner Glenn Beck Confident in the Future
By Frank Giles It has been tough to keep an optimistic attitude as HLB spread through Florida citrus groves and took production down to historic lows. Mix in recent weather disasters and being positive is even more challenging. But the 2023 Citrus Achievement Award winner, Glenn Beck, has always believed there will come a day when HLB is finally defeated …