The incentive programs available for Florida citrus growers looking to replant or renovate their citrus groves are plentiful in Florida. The disease HLB, also known as citrus greening, has devastated Florida’s citrus industry since its detection in 2005, and the latest figures indicate that the Florida citrus industry will need to plant 20 million new [...]
The latest citrus forecast issued by the USDA was released October 12th, and it included a few surprises. Make no mistake, the Florida citrus industry needs help, and the initial citrus forecast showed that. However, it did offer a few rays of hope for the future of the Florida citrus industry. […]
Hurricane Matthew threatened the state of Florida with category 3 and 4 hurricane-level winds during the first week of October, adding salt to the Florida citrus industry wound that is citrus greening. The storm had the potential to cause devastation on a grand scale to the state’s citizens and infrastructure. Florida’s citrus industry feared the [...]
Florida’s citrus industry is in dire need of a turnaround, so the passage of the Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act is the best of news. It’s the latest in a line of news items that seem as if the Florida citrus industry may be on the brink of a welcome improvement. […]
Florida citrus growers have been using two different bactericide formulas since spring of this year when the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FLDACS) obtained an emergency use declaration for the treatments. The EPA recently seconded that in August by approving the use of the bactericides. The results of a recent bactericide study seem [...]
There’s no denying that Florida has seen an enormous negative impact due to citrus greening, or HLB, in its citrus industry. As annual harvests have continued to fall year after year, many have wondered how long the citrus industry can stay afloat. With harvests dwindling and maintenance costs soaring, many citrus growers have thrown in [...]
Florida’s citrus growers got some help in the fight against citrus greening (HLB) in March of 2016 when the EPA approved the emergency use exemption for bactericides. Through the Section 18 exemption, growers were given access to three different brand name products, Mycoshield, FireLine 17WP and FireWall 50WP, to use against citrus greening. Bactericides are [...]
Florida agriculture may be one of the strongest in the nation, but the tropical climate, abundant sunshine and plentiful rains (barring drought!) that created a land so favorable to agriculture also welcome a lion’s share of pests and pathogens to attack the fruits of The Sunshine State’s labors (and the vegetables, nuts, livestock and so [...]
Florida and other southern states have a corner on the majority of the plant-based agriculture market for one common reason: the tropical nature of their respective growing seasons. In short, states like Florida, California, Texas and more are the best places to grow fruits like oranges, various vegetables and other plant-based produce because their growing [...]
Farming and ranching are ventures fraught with pitfalls, and Florida has its fair share of difficulties and hardships. Considering factors such as fickle weather that can be hot as a furnace, dry as a bone, wet as a fish or downright dangerous, and Florida’s host of pathogens and pests, being in agriculture in Florida is [...]
