Florida Grower reached out to the state’s regional citrus association leaders to get their take on how the 2020-2021 season is shaping up and what their organization is doing to pivot around shifting market forces.
Here are some of their responses.
Steve Smith – Gulf Citrus Growers Association
Younger trees that are less than 15 years old look OK in our area. But the older trees, especially early season varieties, are declining. I think this year’s USDA initial crop estimate reflects that. Growers here are feeling more optimistic about the market with improved pricing. That’s especially helpful for those looking to renew multi-year contracts.
Steve Smith
With the passing of SB-712 (Clean Waterways Act) and a lot of our region located within a Basin Management Action Plan, we, as an association, are keeping our members informed of how the new law affects them. One of the requirements in SB-712 is for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to conduct site visits to verify BMP implementation. Our association is working closely with FDACS and our growers to ensure everyone is in compliance. So far, it has gone very smoothly.
Doug Bournique – Indian River Citrus League
The crop this year appears to be of high internal quality with a range of sizes that should be able to supply all markets. The majority of this year’s crop appears to be in mid-sizes, but as wet as the conditions have been, the crop may continue to size up.
Doug Bournique
The League has initiated an MAC (Multi-Agency Coordination) program for new grapefruit scions and rootstocks to be planted in 20 different sites throughout the state. We are extremely hopeful that this program will provide our industry with a path forward for generations to come. The buzz among our growers is basically the old adage — seeing is believing. We now have trees old enough in these test plots at USDA and UF/IRREC (Indian River Research and Educational Center), and they are showing real promise in this greening environment. Growers are taking note and are getting more active in replanting groves in the Indian River area.
Kait Shaw – Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association
We are noticing a little more fruit drop at this time of year than we did last season. This is mostly caused by the significant rain we have received in late fall, but it should not be detrimental to this current season’s crop. Many producers have been able to maintain a disciplined regimen of caretaking for their groves. And for many, quality care and management are definitely paying off. Many growers are optimistic for this upcoming season due to an increase of demand in juice sales with the global pandemic.
Kait Shaw
For the last year, we have been working hard with our members to provide free orange juice within our territory to increase our outreach activity on a local level. Several of our members have donated funds so we could purchase OJ from multiple markets to then hand out product within our school systems and at community events. Overall, our membership is very positive on how the upcoming season will unfold.
Ray Royce – Highlands County Citrus Growers Association
The good news in Highlands County is that despite reports of the citrus crop being down overall in the state, most of our growers are seeing a pretty decent crop for this season in our region. There is some concern about some early drop, so we will see how things play out throughout the season.
Ray Royce
There is certainly a much more optimistic, though not completely satisfied, mood toward fruit pricing than a year ago. Most fruit is already under contract, and the continuing year-to-date uptick in retail OJ movement, lower fruit supply levels, and fresh fruit demand should continue to create strong pricing levels throughout the season.