By Frank Giles
The latest Florida Grower Citrus Industry Pulse survey results again showed Valencia oranges and US-942 rootstock were by far the most popular selections among growers in the past year. The online survey results track closely with the official 2020–21 Citrus Budwood Report, which is compiled and published by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The Citrus Industry Pulse survey showed a majority (62%) of growers responding also are planting new blocks or resets. The count for the 2021–22 Citrus Budwood Report will be closed and collected at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Those numbers are not as encouraging.
According to Ben Rosson, chief of the Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration, propagation numbers were running well behind previous years. As of mid-April, he said about 2.1 million propagations had been made. For reference, the 2020–21 Citrus Budwood Report counted more than 4.8 million propagations from the state’s 45 citrus nurseries. The 2021–22Citrus Budwood Report will be published in September.
Here’s a few highlights from the Citrus Industry Pulse Survey and the 2020–21 Citrus Budwood Report.
