By Frank Giles Steven Callaham, CEO of the Dundee Citrus Growers Association (DCGA), reports citrus harvest got underway on Sept. 4. Brix in the tangerines being harvested are trending higher than last season, and he says that’s good news. “We are very pleased with the quality we are seeing this early in the season. As far as production is concerned, …
OPINION: Florida Citrus is Disappearing; Why It Matters and How We’re Fighting Back
By Nicole “Nikki” Fried Florida is facing an ongoing crisis that threatens jobs, our economy, and possibly our state’s identity. Depending on your political affiliation, a whole range of threats may come to mind, however, this problem is not concerned with political parties and its consequences will reverberate across partisan lines. I am speaking of the decades long battle to …
Update on New HLB Treatments
By Frank Giles The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, held Aug. 17-18, in North Fort Myers drew growers from across Florida and beyond. Citrus growers in attendance were eager for information on HLB treatments. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), spoke during the general session educational seminars and provided an update on products …
Scouting Below the Ground Critical in Florida Citrus
By Frank Giles Florida citrus growers faced another challenging season in 2022. Continuing impacts from HLB and inflated input prices forced some growers to scale back their production programs. According to Kendra McCorkle, an agronomic service representative for Syngenta, some growers had to make hard economic decisions. “This past season with spikes (in expenses) across everything, especially fertilizer and fuel, …
U.S. and Florida Farmland Values on the Rise
By Frank Giles The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service has released its 2022 Land Values Summary. The annual report shows agricultural property increased year-over-year following other trends in inflation. The United States farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $3,800 per acre for 2022, up $420 …
Florida Citrus Crop Decline Continues
By Frank Giles The final U.S. citrus forecast of the 2021–22 season, released July 12, bumped up the estimate a bit from June forecast. Florida’s all-orange forecast rose 1%, to 40.95 million boxes, due to a slight increase in non-Valencia orange production and a 1% increase in expected Valencia orange production. However, the crop was the smallest since the 1942-43 …
Improving Soil Health for Citrus Production
By Tacy Callies In an effort to keep HLB-infected citrus trees productive, many Florida growers are turning to techniques aimed at improving soil health and nutrition. This was the subject of a recent seminar hosted by citrus grower Ed James and sponsored by Sand to Soil Services. More than 30 growers of citrus and other crops gathered at James’ grove …
USDA Proposes Changes to Florida Citrus Marketing Order
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced proposed amendments to the Florida citrus marketing order. As recommended by the Florida Citrus Administrative Committee, changes would include reducing the size and quorum requirements of the committee and revising the nomination and selection processes of committee members. The requirement of allocating committee seats based on volume from each district would also …
Carlson Receives Citrus Achievement Award during Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference
By Frank Giles Citrus growers and industry stakeholders gathered in Bonita Springs last week for the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference. After being sidelined the previous two years due to COVID-19, the conference drew a record crowd of more than 500 registered attendees. The event, hosted by Florida Citrus Mutual, was packed with educational programming and meetings for various …
Citrus Breeding Must Focus on Speed and Results
By Peter Chaires It is typical for research and program planning to begin well before the current year’s programs and projects are completed and reports are filed. This always presents a challenge. However, the rapidly changing dynamics in the citrus industry has impacted this process in a profound way. The loss of growers, acreage and infrastructure is front and center …