Latest News From Citrus

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced grants to help fight citrus greening disease.

New regulations to protect California citrus from huanglongbing are now in place.

After a year-long ban, Morocco citrus exporters can once again ship fruit from the country’s Berkane region to the U.S.

California Citrus Mutual vice president Bob Blakely has retired.

California Citrus Mutual is praising the addition of $2.5 million to the state’s budget to battle Asian citrus psyllids and the huanglongbing disease they can spread.

Florida citrus remains on track for 46 million boxes this season, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate.

Joe Barrett has joined Pacific Trellis Fruit’s sales staff in early January.

Led by multi-million dollar losses to avocados and citrus, estimated product losses from December’s Thomas Fire in Ventura County, Calif., tops more than $25 million.

U.S citrus groves have apparently come through a patch of cold weather in December and early January without significant damage to fruit on the trees.

A provision in the new tax bill is designed to help Florida citrus growers replace trees damaged by huanglongbing and Hurricane Irma.

Seattle-based agricultural biotechnology company Phytelligence is seeking a cure to citrus greening disease.

Interfresh Inc., Orange, Calif., has hired John Famini as national accounts manager in the company’s citrus department.

There have been worse years for weather, but 2017 was one where Mother Nature’s hand changed many fruit and vegetable markets.

Orange-juice futures in New York are heading for a 15th straight day of losses, the worst rout in records back to 1967.

Fowler, Calif.-based Bee Sweet Citrus’ domestic season is fully underway, and the company expects its page mandarins to be available through January.

Citrus greening disease or huanglongbing (HLB) remains a devastating enemy, but attack plans and potential solutions are beginning to appear.

Agricultural inputs firm Vegalab is now in produce marketing, having acquired M&G Packing and planning to market citrus and more in the coming years.

(UPDATED, Dec. 19) Winning praise from Florida agricultural leaders, Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed an $81 billion disaster relief bill that includes $2.6 billion for agricultural assistance.

Agricultural inputs company Vegalab has purchased Fresno, Calif.-based citrus packer M&G Packing.

Florida growers set to collect smallest crop since 1945.

Struggling Florida citrus growers face tough decisions

Shipments of Sky Valley heirloom navel oranges from Cecelia Packing begin the week of Dec. 11.

The Packer's AgDay TV talked to citrus industry growers in Florida and California on citrus greening disease.

California’s Central Valley citrus growers report that forecast freezing temperatures failed to show the night of Dec. 4 and crop conditions remain very strong.

Causing unknown damage to avocado and citrus groves, a fire dubbed the “Thomas wildfire” in California’s Ventura County covers tens of thousands of acres and shows no signs of slowing down.

Sunkist Growers has highlighted the Mulholland family in its latest addition to the multimedia series that introduces consumers to growers in the cooperative.

Taking the costs of the Mexican fruit fly control program off its books, the Texas Valley Citrus Committee will decrease the assessment rate paid by growers from 9 cents to 2 cents per carton of fresh fruit.

A group of more than 20 U.S. lawmakers from Florida have asked the House Appropriations Committee to bolster disaster assistance for hurricane-battered citrus growers in the Sunshine State.

Finding a path from Florida’s citrus industry’s rapid decline to a future with promise for growers is what Harold Browning and other citrus researchers in the Sunshine State are looking for.

This year’s U.S. Atlantic hurricane season is officially the most expensive ever.    

Heirloom navels are available again from Fowler, Calif.-based Bee Sweet Citrus.

Edison, Calif.-based Johnston Farms begins shipping its holiday gift boxes this week.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, Fla., is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

A breeding program three decades in the making is starting to pay off for Wm. G. Roe & Sons Inc.

Hurricane Irma put the squeeze on Florida’s citrus crop.

AC Foods, owner of citrus brands Suntreat and Sumo Citrus, has hired Daniel Kass as vice president of sales and business development.

Growers feel the squeeze as county's citrus industry drops

Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed 2018-19 budget has added funds supporting the state’s citrus industry.

As California citrus growers work feverishly to stave off a future invasion of citrus tree-killing huanglongbing, Texas growers are dealing with the disease in the present.

Organic citrus isn’t common in Texas, and Dennis Holbrook has been one of the few organic grower-shippers in the region for decades.

Check out a few business updates from companies featured in The Packer's Texas Citrus profile.

Food Fight Breaks Out Over Fresh Fruit-and-Vegetable Packaging

To boost California citrus sales now that the season’s underway, Frieda’s Inc., Los Alamitos, Calif., has a special promo program for January through March.

Sunkist Growers has promoted Chris Gordon to managing director of fresh fruit sales and Jose Fu to director of sales operations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cut its estimate for the Florida orange crop to 50 million boxes, down from the 54 million boxes predicted last month.

Fowler, Calif.-based Bee Sweet Citrus is promoting satsuma mandarins and pummelos for Thanksgiving.

California Citrus Mutual will celebrate 40 years representing citrus growers at its annual meeting Nov. 16.

Produce growers are searching for long-term solutions not just a short-term fix when it comes to agricultural labor.    However, lawmakers and the farming community are mixed when it comes to those different solutions. The Ag Guest worker Act, introduced by Chairman Bob Goodlatte cleared the House Judiciary Committee in late October. It’s designed to replace the H-2A Program. That’s not the only piece of legislation floating around Congress.    Lawmaker Lamar Smith introduced legislation called the Legal Workforce Act, which could mandate employers to use the e-verify system to check legal status of agricultural employees.   It’s a tug-of-war battle to see which piece of legislation proposed at roughly the same time will work for farmers.   AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben talked with West Coast produce growers Neil Nagata with Nagata Bros. Farms in Oceanside, Ca., and Al Stehly with Rockwood Ranch in Escondido, Ca., about their challenges and thoughts on potential legislation. Betsy also talked with Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers as well. Listen to the full AgDay segment above.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott plans to recommend a $21 million investment in the citrus industry in his 2018-19 budget proposal.

Citrus from Chile was on hand for the 26th annual Susan G. Komen Orange County Race for the Cure, handing out more than 1,000 pounds of mandarins to runners.