Florida

New Tool Seen as a Win in the Battle Against Citrus Greening

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:54:58 GMT

The EPA has approved CarriCea T1, calling it a “breakthrough citrus rootstock” that helps trees defend themselves against citrus greening disease — the bacterial infection that has destroyed more than 90% of Florida’s citrus production over the past two decades.

EPA says the approval gives American growers a powerful new tool that fights disease at the source while reducing the need for conventional pesticide sprays.

“A secure, abundant food supply keeps Americans healthy and fuels economic growth, which is why we’re using gold-standard science to put safe, innovative tools in the hands of our farmers,” says EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “CarriCea T1 helps protect American citrus, supports a nutritious food supply and lets growers rely less on conventional pesticide applications. That’s a win for farmers and a win for American families.”

Florida’s citrus industry, the center of America’s orange juice supply, continues to face extraordinary pressure. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports final 2024–25 production totaled 12.15 million boxes of oranges, 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit and 400,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos — the smallest Florida harvest on record since the 1919–20 season. At the industry’s 2003–04 peak, Florida growers produced nearly 292 million boxes of citrus. Today’s harvest is less than 5% of that total.

Without effective new tools, citrus greening threatens to end commercial citrus production in the U.S., forcing Americans to depend on foreign growers, says the EPA.

CarriCea T1 works by making precise edits to the citrus tree’s own existing genes — not by introducing DNA from other organisms. These edits disrupt the interaction between the citrus plant and the bacteria that cause greening, helping the tree limit infection on its own.

Because the tree itself is better equipped to resist the disease, growers using CarriCea T1 rootstock can rely less on conventional chemical sprays to manage citrus greening. Fewer sprays mean less pesticide applied to the orchard, less handled by farmworkers and a safer path forward for American citrus.

EPA says it conducted a dietary safety assessment under its existing regulatory framework for plant-incorporated protectants to ensure the registration decision is protective. This includes residues from both the pesticide being registered as well as any breakdown products. The fruit produced from CarriCea T1 rootstock will be indistinguishable from those using other rootstock varieties, it says.

EPA says it recognizes Americans care deeply about how their food is grown and want clear information about the tools used in agriculture. Consumers who prefer alternatives will continue to find a wide range of choices in the marketplace, including organic citrus.

This approval gives growers another tool to manage a serious crop disease while supporting efforts to reduce losses and maintain productive citrus acreage, says the agency.

Farmers need a range of approaches to manage pests and plant diseases, including integrated strategies that protect yields while reducing unnecessary conventional pesticide use, says EPA. CarriCea T1 gives growers a new line of defense that works with the plant’s own biology rather than relying on chemicals alone.

When a crop is modified for pesticidal purposes, the modification is called a plant-incorporated protectant, or PIP. Some PIPs introduce new genes from other organisms, but CarriCea T1 takes a different approach, editing existing citrus genes to strengthen the plant’s own defenses. EPA evaluates every PIP against rigorous standards for human health, environmental protection and long-term agricultural sustainability.

EPA says it will continue working with growers, researchers and stakeholders to ensure crop protection tools are used responsibly and evaluated with full attention to safety and the long-term resilience of American farms.

Florida Kicks Off Thai Guava Season

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:38:07 GMT

Florida Thai guava season has officially started, says Homestead, Fla.-based tropical fruit grower and importer Tierra Suelta.

This popular superfruit is known for its subtle sweetness and crisp, applelike texture, making it a versatile option that appeals to a wide range of shoppers, says Tierra Suelta.

The company adds that the fruit’s firm texture makes it an easy, ready-to-eat snack that also pairs well with flavor enhancers like chili-lime seasoning. Tierra Suelta says this versatility also helps create cross-merchandising opportunities that can increase basket size.

Unlike traditional soft guava varieties, Thai guava can be merchandised as a ready-to-eat snack fruit and used across multiple retail applications, including fresh-cut programs, grab-and-go packs and tropical displays, helping retailers drive incremental sales and expand usage occasions, says Tierra Suelta.

“Our Thai guava is farmed on 250 acres of family-owned land with a full-time agronomist watching over every crop,” says CEO Adrian Abreu. “The result is a consistently high-quality harvest of crunchy, tart fruit that’s fresh, flavorful and hits its peak season in late summer when consumers most crave a crisp, refreshing snack. For retailers, it’s an approachable tropical item that’s easy to merchandise and resonates across diverse consumer groups.”

Tierra Suelta’s Thai guava is also packed and shipped from the farm’s on-site 15,000-square-foot, Primus-certified warehouse. The fruit is harvested six days per week and precooled to enhance taste, extend shelf life and reduce shrink, the company says.

Domestic production in South Florida allows Tierra Suelta to offer shorter lead times, reliable supply and a compelling local sourcing story that aligns with retailer demand for regionally grown products, says Tierra Suelta.

“Thai guava is a growing hit with consumers,” the company says. According to a March 2026 report from Business Research Insights, the global guava market will continue to expand through 2035. A similar report from 360 Research Reports notes that between 2019 and 2024, U.S. consumption rose 19%, with demand from Hispanic and Asian communities leading the charge. Its mild flavor and crisp texture also make it an accessible entry point for mainstream shoppers seeking healthy, low-calorie snack alternatives.

A vertically integrated farm, Tierra Suelta supplies the industry with Thai guava, dragon fruit, star fruit, mamey sapote and other specialty favorites throughout the year. The company says its customized packaging, merchandising support, shopper information and private-label programs help retailers drive trial, increase velocity and support category growth.

The Centennial Legacy: Duda’s Vision for the Next 100 Years

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:42:23 GMT

As Duda celebrates a century of operations and the grand opening of its new 29,208-square-foot corporate headquarters in Oviedo, Fla., the fifth-generation company remains one of the rare success stories in American business. With only 0.02% of family-run enterprises reaching the 100-year mark, Duda’s recent recognition as a Century Pioneer Family Farm by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson highlights a legacy built on more than just time.

A Century of Roots: From 40 Acres to a National Footprint

The story of Duda began in 1909 when Andrew Duda emigrated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to pursue a new life in America. By 1912, he had laid claim to 40 acres in the Slovak Lutheran colony of Slavia, Fla. Though the family initially struggled, their persistence culminated in 1926 when Andrew and his three sons — the “three seniors” — established the partnership of A. Duda & Sons after successfully selling their first profitable celery crop.

Over the decades, the company’s history has been defined by both expansion and innovation. In the 1940s, the “three seniors” expanded vegetable production across Florida to support the World War II effort. By the 1950s, the family’s mechanical ingenuity led to the patenting of the mule train, a mobile packinghouse that revolutionized field packing. This spirit of diversification eventually led the company into sod production, citrus and the 1989 groundbreaking of Viera, a major master-planned community in Florida’s Brevard County.

“For our family, this milestone is about more than longevity; it’s about purpose,” says Tracy Duda Chapman, chief legal and administrative officer. “Giving back has always been central to who we are, and we remain deeply committed to supporting the communities where we live and work.”

Foundations of Stewardship

While the Century Pioneer Family Farm certification officially recognizes 100 years of continuous family ownership, CEO Sammy Duda emphasizes that the designation reflects the company’s internal standards for land management.

“The designation itself is based on 100 years of continuous family ownership, but in practice, longevity like that only happens with a deep commitment to stewardship,” he says. “For us, that’s meant consistently investing in soil health, water management and responsible land use to ensure our operations remain productive and sustainable over time. Reaching a century isn’t about a single benchmark; it’s about maintaining a mindset of continual improvement and taking a long-term view of the land so it can support future generations.”

Duda recently celebrated its new 29,208-square-foot corporate headquarters in Oviedo, Fla.

(Photo courtesy of Duda)

Innovating for a New Era of Agriculture

Looking toward the next century, Duda says it is evolving its agricultural operations — particularly through Duda Farm Fresh Foods — to meet the modern pressures of resource scarcity and labor shifts. According to Sammy Duda, the future of their signature crops depends on a marriage of biology and technology.

“As we look ahead, innovation is central to how we evolve our specialty crop production,” he says. “In celery, that starts with continued investment in seed genetics to improve flavor, nutrient density and convenience for consumers, plant architecture and drought tolerance tailored to specific regions.

“We’re also investing in automation in both field harvesting and our value-added operations,” he adds. “Labor availability and water constraints will continue to shape our industry, so improving efficiency through technology is critical to maintaining a reliable, high-quality supply.”

Balancing Growth and Preservation

With 45,000 acres under management and a significant presence in Florida real estate through The Viera Co., Duda faces the unique challenge of balancing its pioneer agricultural roots with the state’s demand for development. The company maintains that its real estate ventures are an extension of its agricultural stewardship rather than a departure from it.

“Our approach has always been grounded in diversification and stewardship,” Sammy Duda says. “Agriculture remains a core pillar of our business, and we continue to invest in it to ensure it stays competitive in a very dynamic environment.

“At the same time, our approach to development — particularly through our master-planned community of Viera — has been guided by that same stewardship mindset,” he continues. “From the outset, Viera was designed to integrate natural spaces, protect wildlife and prioritize quality of life through parks, trails and conservation areas like the Viera Wilderness Park.

“By taking a long-term, master-planned approach, we’re able to support responsible growth while preserving the environmental and community values that have defined our legacy for 100 years,” he adds.

As the company settles into its new Dovera Drive headquarters, the focus remains clear: Honor the discipline of the past while leveraging innovation to create lasting value for the next generation of Floridians.

Wish Farms Highlights Berry Quality, Consumer Demand at 2026 Florida Strawberry Festival

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:29:36 GMT

Plant City, Fla.-based international grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and pineberries, Wish Farms used its high-visibility participation at the 96th Florida Strawberry Festival to reinforce the quality of the 2026 Florida strawberry crop and the importance of direct consumer engagement for the industry.

Organizers of the 11-day event said 573,299 guests visited the Plant City fairgrounds this year.

Now in its 15th year sponsoring the festival’s soundstage, Wish Farms leveraged the platform to highlight its growers, workforce and the people behind Florida strawberry production. Prior to each concert, the company aired a consumer appreciation video recognizing growers and staff.

The festival’s national draw allowed Wish Farms team members to engage in real-time conversations about seasonality, varieties and farming practices.

“The berry quality this season has been exceptional,” says Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director for Wish Farms. “There’s nothing more rewarding than watching someone’s face light up after taking that first bite. They associate that experience with our brand, and it creates an authentic connection. That’s the most meaningful validation we can have.”

The upgraded soundstage, now in its second year, delivered record-setting exposure, with the Forrest Frank concert becoming the highest-attended concert in the festival’s history, the company says. The increased scale and production value amplified Wish Farms’ visibility while reinforcing the festival’s role as a showcase for Florida agriculture.

In addition to on-site presence, Wish Farms activated daily marketing campaigns designed to connect grassroots engagement with digital growth. Interactive promotions encouraged festivalgoers to follow the brand on social media and join the Berry Lover email list, driving direct-to-consumer connection beyond the festival grounds.

Pink-A-Boo Pineberries were also sold and sampled throughout the event, introducing many consumers to the variety for the first time and highlighting ongoing innovation within the strawberry category.

For Wish Farms, the 2026 festival once again served as a critical touchpoint to reinforce grower value, product quality and consumer demand at the height of the Florida strawberry season.

$3B in Losses Estimated in Florida Freeze

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:57:35 GMT

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ preliminary estimate of the state’s agricultural losses from the recent freezes includes more than $3.1 billion.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson says the estimates highlight the losses to diverse agricultural sectors, including vegetables and melons, citrus, sugarcane, fruits, horticulture and aquaculture. The figures will be updated as additional information becomes available.

The estimates draw on data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Florida Census of Agriculture, USDA Market News, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Preliminary Freeze Event Assessment, early survey and early communication between FDACS, industry leaders and individual producers who are currently engaged in large-scale recovery efforts.

Estimated losses include:

Tomatoes — $164,273,849
Strawberries — $306,965,897
Watermelons — $65,437,343
Sweet corn — $255,363,251
Bell peppers — $108,380,389
Potatoes — $79,065,000
Cabbage — $21,800,280
Squash — $24,522,275
Blueberries — $78,512,400
Citrus — $674,660,336

“Our preliminary estimate of over $3 billion in agricultural losses makes clear what we already knew: This was one of the most damaging freeze events for Florida agriculture in history,” Simpson says. “It is also clear that our state’s farmers, ranchers, and growers — who we rely on daily to feed and nourish our communities — need timely and substantial support.”

Simpson also commended the Trump administration for support during “times of crisis like this.”

“They know that a strong domestic food supply is critical to our nation’s security, and Florida’s farmers feed America, especially during the winter,” he says. “Working hand in hand with producer groups and our congressional delegation, we stand ready to accept and quickly administer federal block grant funding to support our impacted producers to recover, to replant, and to keep our nation fed.”

A copy of FDACS’ preliminary estimates can be found online .

Florida Growers Face a Lingering Impact After Heartbreaking 12-Hour Freeze

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:04:21 GMT

There’s no question that Florida’s specialty crops were impacted by a late January, early February freeze, but the severity of the damage depends both on the crop and the location.

Philip Harmon, professor of plant pathology and extension specialist with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, describes the damage he’s seen from the state’s blueberry growers as “devastating.”

“Growing fruits and vegetables in Florida is a challenging career to take,” he says.

But one thing Harmon knows about the state’s blueberry growers is that no matter the challenge, these growers will replant.

“The consistent human side of this is that these guys are resilient,” he says. “They’re super hardworking, and they are not the kind of people to give up.”

A Year of Income Lost in One Night

Harmon, located in Gainesville, Fla., says the damage varies across the state and by variety. He’s seen damage on young blueberry plantings and plantings 20 years or older, all hit by the storm.

While growers were as prepared as they could be for freeze damage, which is common during the blueberry season, this year brought a perfect storm of conditions that lead to the loss.

“It was extreme, and I’d like to believe that this is a one-off sort of thing that we might not see again so soon,” Harmon says. “Just because it was so weird in how it materialized and how it swung from record highs in mid-January to these record lows in the first week of February.”

He says that dramatic shift was the real kicker.

“This was a stack back against them with this storm of the generation,” he says. “It’s really something that we hadn’t seen and couldn’t really plan for, because it’s not something that was expected or that was within our lexicon of what was even possible prior to this.”

Harmon says it’s a tough loss for growers because even those who were ready and had contingency plans were still impacted.

“The real heartbreaker of this story is that, with the wind, with the perfect storm of conditions, not even our best and most prepared growers come out unscathed,” he says. “They have tremendous losses. And in fact, some of the best growers are seeing some of the most severe losses. So, this is an inequality of effort to outcome. … They’re devastated by this loss, because they literally put 364 days into this crop and lost it in 12 hours of cold temperatures and blowing wind; their entire year’s worth of income went up in smoke.”

Harmon says growers’ attention now turns to crop insurance, disaster relief and other federal programs that could help them rebuild.

“It’s an injustice, because the hard work here that these folks do day to day to make a crop for us, to produce food for us that didn’t pay out, and it wasn’t any fault of their own,” he says. “That’s the real kind of heartbreaker for me to see these guys very resilient — and they will come back — but discouraged by this event and uncertain about how they’re going to be able to navigate the potential resources available to them to try to keep their enterprises afloat, and try to make their farms whole again and be able to produce a crop next year.”

Growers have a good mix of varieties to balance out the ebbs and flows within production, but unfortunately, this storm was a great equalizer.

“Our growers do a better job than most of building that into the system and protection by hedging their bets, so to speak,” Harmon says. “This year, nobody won this game.”

Greening and Cold Converge to Put New Stress on Florida Citrus

“It’s kind of a mixed bag,” says Tripti Vashisth, an associate professor of horticultural sciences and a citrus Extension specialist with UF/IFAS, in assessing how the state’s citrus growers fared.

“It depends where you are in the state, and even within that location where you were, if your groves were more low-lying, the cold stayed there longer, and the temperature got really low,” she explains.

Some areas lost flower buds and leaves due to the cold and wind. While wind caused some fruit drop, Vashisth, located in Lake Alfred, Fla., says there likely will be fruit drop, too, in the coming weeks. Some fruit froze, which will affect quality.

Trees already stressed with citrus greening disease will likely have more stress.

“These trees were already struggling; they did not have a whole lot of leaves on them,” Vashisth says. “Canopies are often thin on these trees with not a whole lot of fruit. Now with freeze, we will be losing more leaves, so now the tree would have to spend more resources in making leaves.”

Because these canopies were thinner in trees with greening, there will be more damage.

“On the bigger trees. If they had a more fuller canopy, they would have more biomass to insulate from the freeze,” she says. “But now these are thinner canopies, so they are more exposed to the low temperatures too.”

That’s added to the stress these trees face fighting the citrus greening pathogen, which means it will take longer for damaged trees to recover, Vashisth says. The real challenge, she adds, is growers are not just farming this year’s crop but also helping the tree set buds for next year.

“Investing in tree health will go a longer way,” Vashisth says. “The dilemma that growers are in: They are paid for the fruit, not for the leaves, so it becomes very difficult to see the benefit in the short term, and they have to make these hard decisions based on economics. But as a researcher in horticulture, the recommendation would be, again, help the tree in recovering from these damages, and hopefully if you have a healthier tree, we can have better-quality fruit and more fruit in subsequent years.”

Mark Ritenour, professor of postharvest technology with UF/IFAS, says growers typically try to harvest citrus fruit before the end of December to avoid cold damage, but some still have fruit on trees going into January.

Ritenour, stationed in Fort Pierce, Fla., says he can’t remember the last time a storm hit the state as it did.

“This has been a unique one for us, though,” he says. “I can’t remember the time when it got this cold down here for this long, so it’s been quite a while since I’ve been here.”

He says he suspects there will be postharvest damage from this storm, however, it’s going to be a few weeks before the true extent is seen. Fruit that suffers freeze damage typically will have vesicles that have dried out and will be lighter.

Fruit damage from radiation freezes — cold-weather events that can happen in calm and clear weather — show up at the top of the fruit, but cold damage from windy weather shows up differently.

“It was more windy this time,” he says. “You’re going to get the freezing occurring mostly initially on the wind-exposed side of the fruit.”

Ritenour also notes that trees infected with citrus greening would have thinner canopies that could shield the fruit from damage. He adds that he’s heard fruit grown under citrus protection screens “look like they’re doing pretty good.”

To understand the full extent of freeze damage on fruit, growers often have to wait for the fruit to drop in the grove. However, thanks to modern technology, assessing freeze damage in the packinghouse has gotten much easier.

“We have optical and vision and weight-grading systems in the packinghouse, and we can separate it out that way,” Ritenour says. “We can use our vision and weight-grading systems now to determine density and remove fruit that way, but it has to dry out some before we can really tell.”

Damage from the recent storm is shown on mature fruit.

(Photo courtesy of Wael Elwakil)

Strawberries Enter a Wait-and-See Recovery

The state’s strawberry growers used overhead sprinkler irrigation to prevent the plants from suffering too much from a hard freeze, but they still suffered some damage, says Wael Elwakil, Extension agent in fruit and vegetable production with UF/IFAS in Hillsborough County.

“The damage to the immature fruit and flowers will continue to unfold until mid-February,” he says. “Generally, it takes approximately three weeks for a new flower to become ready to harvest fruit, depending on the weather and crop management.”

He says strawberry growers have reported between 20% to 60% losses during the week following the freeze.

“There were some extreme situations where reported losses reached up to 70% or more with certain varieties or freeze protection failures due to the storm,” he says.

Joe Klick, associate vice president of product management at Naturipe Farms, says a bright spot was for growers who used row covers.

“Some growers do have fruit under tunnels, and they believe a higher percentage of that crop was able to be protected and saved,” he says. “We are still working closely with our growers to fully assess the extent of the damage.”

Klick says for many growers, it’s a wait-and-see period to understand how each variety will come through the cold snap.

“Weather is always one of the biggest variables in farming, and as much as we would love to be able to control Mother Nature, we simply cannot,” he says.

Elwakil says growers must now focus on managing disease issues, along with the added moisture and wind damage, to help plants recover.

“Growers are resilient and trying to stay positive and powering through,” he says. “They look forward and quickly adapt to adjust to market needs and current production volumes.”

Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director for Wish Farms, says the storm caused some growers to discard damaged fruit, with most losing between 10% to 20% of blooms.

“Growers in the Plant City/Dover area experienced a more significant impact, largely due to strong winds that accompanied the freeze,” he says. “Farms farther south reported comparatively lighter damage.”

But production is already rebounding with warmer weather, Wishnatzki says.

“The bloom losses from the freeze mean that volumes in late February and early March may fall below levels typical of previous seasons,” he says. “Fortunately, the cold’s impact is limited to volume issues specifically; fruit quality and flavor remain exceptional, and we expect that to continue.”

And Elwakil says that oftentimes after storms like the one the state’s growers just experienced, the market is more challenging than the storm itself.

“Support Florida farmers by purchasing Florida produce,” he says.

Florida Strawberry Growers Balance Freeze Protection Against Disease Risk Ahead of Valentine’s Day

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:29:05 GMT

As the first cold snap hit the Sunshine State earlier this week, Jennifer Bearden, a University of Florida Extension agent in Okaloosa County, shares how strawberry growers help protect their susceptible plants.

Bearden says one of her growers uses row covers to protect the berries, while others use overhead irrigation or no frost protection at all. She says the growers who used the row covers had ripe berries.

And she says it’s common to have temperatures in the low 20s and even 10s this time of year, but it’s still important growers protect the crop.

A challenge with the upcoming cold snap, Bearden says, is that snow or ice that could help insulate plants, but the pending forecast looks like it will just be freezing temperatures.

“It will be critical for our growers to protect their strawberries if we get as cold as they are forecasting,” she says. “Buds in the crown can be injured at 20 degrees. New leaves can be injured below 28 degrees or so, and open blooms are injured below 30. We are currently forecast to be at 21 degrees.”

And she says this comes at a time when growers are looking to ramp up production or maintain production to meet the upcoming Valentine’s Day demand.

“One of my farms already has berries, and they would like to keep them growing so they have some berries for Valentine’s Day,” she says.

With overhead irrigation, water radiates heat as it freezes on the plant, which Bearden discusses in her video.

“It is a fine art to learn how to apply the right amount based on temperature, wind and humidity,” she says. “They start with ¼" of water per hour and adjust for wind and humidity.”

Another big worry for Bearden is protecting crops from freeze events while also mitigating diseases such as Neopestalotiopsis.

“Neopestalotiopsis can be spread by overhead irrigation, and it can spread under the row covers,” she says. “Also, these cold snaps can interrupt fungicide spray schedules.”

She says the grower with row covers took the covers off during a slight warm up and will spray the plants and cover before this next cold snap.

“This farm has one row that doesn’t have a cover, so it was hit hard by the last freeze event,” she says.

As for the upcoming storm, she says her grower with row covers is prepared and ready for the cold, but the growers who use overhead irrigation and those who don’t use any freeze protection, that’s another story.

“I think the ones that use overhead irrigation are not looking forward to losing sleep in order to monitor the irrigation,” she says. “I think growers without freeze protection may be nervous about this upcoming cold snap as we may see teens, which will impact the plant and yield potential. In 2025, the snow insulated the plants from our low temps; -12 was the lowest recorded during that period. The plants likely won’t have snow to insulate them this year.”

Florida Strawberry Growers File Major Antidumping Petitions Against Mexican Imports

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:49:54 GMT

A group of strawberry growers filed petitions alleging that low-priced imports from Mexico have injured the winter strawberry industry in Florida . Imports covered under this petition include all fresh and chilled strawberries that enter the U.S. and are sold between Nov. 1 and March 31.

The Strawberry Growers for Fair Trade filed the petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, stating the Mexican strawberry industry has distorted the U.S. market and injured the American industry and its workers.

Daniel Pickard, International Trade and National Security practice group leader at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney and lead counsel for the growers that filed the petition, says this action has come after nearly 20-plus years of growers seeking relief. This includes engaging with the U.S. Trade Representatives and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Pickard says that while the U.S. International Trade Commission began monitoring imports under section 332, growers still did not see relief.

“It’s the fact that this industry has been suffering for more than two decades, and really the U.S. antidumping law is one of the only laws out there that industries can use when they feel like they’re being injured as a result of unfair import competition,” he says. “I bring antidumping cases for a living. There’s a point where people say, ‘Enough is enough. We don’t really have any other options right now.’”

And Pickard says many industries have sought relief through antidumping petitions.

“We are at a period where kind of historical high levels of antidumping investigation are being filed, not just in ag, it’s across multiple industries,” he says. “This is, I think, front and center in the news just about every day. The idea, not just under this administration, but for the past two administrations, and a focus on revitalizing U.S. production and the USA.”

Criteria for Proving Injury

Pickard says the timeline for the proceedings will likely be a decision within 20 to 45 days of the first filing to either dismiss or formally initiate the case. First, the ITC will determine if the case shows injury.

“The U.S. International Trade Commission will make a determination whether there is, ‘a reasonable indication of material injury or threat of material injury by reason of the Mexican imports,’” he says. “The ITC typically goes affirmative at that preliminary determination as well. The domestic industry only needs to show a reasonable indication of harm.”

Pickard says he’s currently answering some questions about domestic injury from the Department of Commerce.

“The ITC really looks at three primary sets,” he says. “No. 1, what is the volume of imports specifically? Have they increased absolutely or by market share? The second thing that they look at is whether imports have had negative price effects. And you see this historically in two major ways, either are the Mexican prices below the U.S. price, which is called underselling, or have imports generally put downward pressure on prices so that they’re suppressing or depressing U.S. prices. And then the third thing ITC looks at is whether there’s been a negative impact as it affected the growers, production, their commercial shipment, their profitability, their ability to invest.”

Then, the Department of Commerce will launch an investigation into the claims.

“They’ll make their preliminary determination whether there is dumping and the extent of dumping, generally at about five to six months after the filing of the case,” Pickard says. “So that’s going to get us to basically summertime, and as of that date, that’s when antidumping duties start to be collected.”

Then, he says, the ITC will conduct its formal hearing on the impact to the domestic industry.

“From a lawyer’s perspective, these things move at a rocket pace,” Pickard says. “We’re not talking about litigation that’s going to drag on for years and years. We’ll have a final determination within 13 months.”

Cautious Optimism for Industry Survival

Pickard says one thing that’s unique about this antidumping case is that it’s using a regional analysis, which, in this case, is Florida.

“The ICC has traditionally looked at whether a nationwide industry has been injured, but Congress passed a law decades ago that allows the ICC to also do what’s called a regional analysis and say, when examining the injury, is there a region that is particularly injured?” he says. “We’re arguing that really there are kind of two regions in the United States. You’ve got California growers and what’s going on in the Western United States, and then you’ve got strawberry production, which is concentrated in Florida and primarily sold in the Eastern states. And Florida growers’ season directly matches the majority of the Mexican strawberry growing season. And here it’s important for the ITC to conduct our regional analysis to specifically look at the impact of these imports on the Florida growers.”

Pickard says the growers he represents are cautiously optimistic but also understand just how long it’s taken to get to this point.

“I think people are very hopeful, but they’re also kind of cautiously optimistic that the industry has tried to get relief in a couple of different forms over the years, and it just hasn’t worked,” he says. “So now there’s this new option and these trade cases, if they’re successful. It’s not an overstatement to say that they can literally save domestic industries, but I think people are also cautious in their optimism in light of just how long this problem has been going on without any real relief.”

Data, Branding and Efficiency Take Center Stage at East Coast Produce Expo

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:54:26 GMT

AVENTURA, Fla. — From the debut of the latest SuperShots to redesigned cabbage displays, exhibitors at East Coast Produce Expo highlighted strategies to stay competitive in 2026. Whether it is preparing for FSMA 204 compliance or capturing the attention of a changing consumer demographic, the unifying message across the show floor was clear: The produce industry is looking to a more branded, data-driven and efficient future.

Liz Coan, Liz Sertl, Amy Behm and Lucy Angarita are shown at the GS1 US booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Visitors to the GS1 US booth had a chance to try their luck at answering questions to win prizes. Questions included “What is FSMA 204?” and “Who is GS1?” with the intention of keeping the conversation going with FSMA 204 preparations. While 2028 seems like a while away, Liz Sertl, senior director of supply chain visibility at GS1 US, says now is a good time to begin the compliance journey.

“Organizations should be thinking about getting started, not just with preparing for the regulation but [also] leveraging the benefits of the regulation, including food safety, food recall, inventory management, food waste and good master data,” Sertl says. “It’s not hard to get started. It’s just taking that first step [toward compliance].”

Ryan Cooper and Jennifer Prince are shown at Sol-ti’s East Coast Produce Expo booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Sol-ti debuted two new products, its Electroboost+ and its Mindboost+ SuperShots. Mindboost+ offers 50 milligrams of caffeine through ceremonial-grade matcha and contains lion’s mane and ashwagandha. As hydration becomes more of a focus for consumers, Ryan Cooper, director of sales at Sol-ti, says the new Electroboost with electrolytes is a perfect fit for those consumers focused on effective hydration.

Cooper also says Sol-ti focuses on “getting away from single-use plastics.”

Pedro Pablo Rodriguez Payeras, Juan Diego, Pamela Jacobo and Michael Navalta are shown at PanAmerican Farms’ East Coast Produce Expo booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Pedro Pablo Rodriguez Payeras, director of PanAmerican Farms, says he enjoyed his time at East Coast Produce Expo, noting that The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2026 educational session was informative.

“It’s important to find out that men are leading buying,” he says. “It’s good to see data on the market and how important [the male buyer] is.”

Dave Verdrager and Tom Randazzo are shown at the Grimmway Produce Group’s East Coast Produce Expo booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

After unveiling the Grimmway Produce Group last year, which includes Grimmway Farms, Cal-Organic Farms, Bunny-Luv, Tasteful Selections, San Miguel Produce and RPE Inc. under one umbrella company, David Verdrager, director of business development for foodservice and export sales with Grimmway Produce Group, says the feedback has been positive. He says he had good conversations at East Coast Produce Expo with buyers.

“In the age of consolidation, more and more buyers are looking for convenience,” he says. “Less stops for trucks and anything to simplify their side of the business.”

Crystal Berry and Tara Murray are shown at the Fresh Innovations/Yo Quiero Brands booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Tara Murray, vice president of marketing for Fresh Innovations/Yo Quiero Brands, says she loved that East Coast Produce Expo unveiled the latest Fresh Trends data at the show. She says the presentation from Jennifer Strailey, editorial director for The Packer, left her wanting more.

The Fresh Trends 2026 report looked at how men outspend women in many produce categories, and Murray says she already wants to see a side-by-side comparison of male shoppers of different generations to better understand their behavior.

“It is more interesting that what we do in CPG focuses more on female-centric marketing,” she says.

Eric McClam, Danielle Hutchinson and Steven Beltram are shown at the TendWell Farm and City Roots Farm booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Eric McClam, founder of City Roots Farm, says he enjoyed the marketing panel as part of the East Coast Produce Expo education sessions. He says what he took away from the session is just how much the produce industry needs to move beyond the focus on health

“We need to look at CPG collectively and what they’re doing and how to pull from it,” he says. “Promoting brands as a lifestyle, brands as a premium product to set you apart.”

Lilibeth Montoya, Vadim Sampedro and Daniela Lengel are shown at the Alpine Fresh and Hippie Organics booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Vadim Sampedro, sales and account manager with Hippie Organics and Alpine Fresh, says the show was good for Alpine Fresh and Hippie Organics, though most of the conversations with booth visitors were about Hippie Organics.

“People say they love the brand and they want to learn more about the brand,” he says.

Jed Watson and Nancy Yanez are shown at the Watsonia Organics booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Jed Watson, sales manager for Watsonia Organics, says it was a good show for his family’s fourth-generation business.

“We’ve had good conversations and positive feedback from buyers and retailers,” he says. “We’re looking forward to what 2026 has in store.”

Tyler Hiriak, Devin Vaishville and Sean McGoldrick are shown at the PennRose Farms booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

While many retailers had bright and colorful displays for Valentine’s Day or Lunar New Year, PennRose Farms showcased it’s redesigned St. Patrick’s Day displays and 5-pound cabbage boxes for its Blue Ribbon brand cabbage.

“We have 10% of the market share on cabbage,” says Tyler Hiriak, sales executive with PennRose Farms.

Hiriak says the company debuted the redesigned cabbage boxes last year and had positive feedback from the retailers who used the promotional booking.

“Retailers who utilized the promotion last year want to re-up because they saw a lift,” he says. “[Cabbage] is affordable and fills up a shopping basket.”

Hiriak says, while at East Coast Produce Expo, retailers wanted to discuss organic produce availability as the category continues to grow. He says PennRose has seen double-digit growth in the category, and retailers wanted to discuss the surety of supply as it builds out its 52-week program.

Michelle Eoff and Tal Shoshan are shown at the FiveStar Gourmet Foods booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

FiveStar Gourmet Foods, known for its premium packaged salads, showcased its single-serve and family-size kits that elevate the category, says CEO Tal Shoshan.

“We have more salad choices than any other competitor,” he says.

Nina Viola, Matt Houmes and Stefanie Guiterrez are shown at the Farm Direct Supply booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

At its East Coast Produce Expo Booth, Farm Direct Supply celebrated the first anniversary of its Tropiful brand.

“We have enjoyed building the brand,” says Matt Houmes, produce specialist with Farm Direct Supply. “It’s an energetic and vibrant brand.”

Houmes says what’s great about the Tropiful, which includes the company’s red dragon fruit, yellow dragon fruit, rambutan and pink dragon fruit, is that retailers can build out a customizable program for stores that is easy to execute.

“We can create a program for retail and combine it in an eye-catching display,” Houmes says.

Dylan Fox and Victoria Lopez are shown at the Fox Packaging booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Conversations at the Fox Packaging booth focused on stock programs and private-label packaging.

“Consistent support and consistent participation [of industry events] is important to learn what’s happening in the industry to keep our customers informed,” says Victoria Lopez, marketing and business development manager for Fox Packaging.

Lopez says there’s been some new developments, such as state regulations on EPR (extended producer responsibility), and Fox Packaging helps its customers understand the implications of those regulations.

Booth visitors also wanted to learn about how produce businesses can better utilize the labor on hand and become more efficient with automation, Lopez says.

Andre Rohrman and Rob Richardson are shown at the Farm Fresh Direct booth at East Coast Produce Expo.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Rob Richardson, national sales representative for Farm Fresh Direct, says he enjoyed the education sessions at the East Coast Produce Expo, noting the importance of good marketing.

“I can sell them the product, but it’s all about the display,” he says.

Richardson says the other takeaway he got from the sessions was the emphasis on quality.

“Quality always reigns supreme,” he says.

Your next read:

Oppy Launches Dole-Branded Florida Strawberry Program

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:21:42 GMT

Fresh produce grower, marketer and distributor Oppy says it has launched its new Florida strawberry program with production underway and promotable volumes expected from late January through early February.

The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company says this is its inaugural offering under the Dole label since integrating with Dole Diversified North America in October.

Grown on more than 300 acres in the Florida communities of Frostproof, Zolfo Springs, Dover and Plant City, the program features a lineup of premium conventional varieties in 1-pound and 2-pound packs.

Favorable weather conditions to date have supported excellent fruit development and quality, the company says.

“This Florida production completes Oppy’s year-round supply of strawberries, which also includes central and Baja, Mexico, and production up and down the California coast,” says Tony Colonna, senior berry category manager for Oppy. “It allows us to diversify our supply with multiple regions simultaneously and keep customers’ shelves filled regardless of any weather interruptions in one of the major growing regions.”

With availability through March, Oppy says Florida strawberry production provides the company an important strategic advantage through winter, providing a reliable supply during a critical demand period and ensuring retailers can maintain strong category performance.

Oppy says its business development representatives have begun to set up ads and provide promotional tools to drive sales at retail.

“The new volume expands the strength of our year-round berry portfolio under the widely recognized Dole brand,” Colonna says, citing a recent Ipsos survey that revealed a 54% unaided recognition of the popular fresh fruit label. “It’s exciting to bring this first large-scale Dole-branded strawberry offering to the marketplace through Oppy.”

In addition to its strawberry program, Oppy says it offers depth and breadth across the entire berry category with year-round volumes of high-quality fruit in all key items.

Citrus Greening Named One of Farm Journal Foundation's “Mean 16” Biosecurity Threats

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:45:42 GMT

A newly released report from the Farm Journal Foundation (the farmer-centered, non-profit, nonpartisan organization created by Farm Journal, which owns The Packer) details the top 16 most significant pest and disease issues that U.S. growers face. Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), is prominently featured among the “Current Threats.”

HLB was first confirmed in the U.S. in 2005 in Miami-Dade County, Fla. The disease is caused by the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacterium, which the Asian citrus psyllid vectors. The psyllid was first found in the U.S. in 1998, setting the stage for the outbreak.

This graphic from the Farm Journal Foundation’s “Mean 16" report shows the drop in citrus production, which incudes oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon/lime.

(Graphic courtesy of the Farm Journal Foundation)

In the two decades since the disease arrived in the Sunshine State, orange production has dropped from 244 million 90-pound boxes in 1998 to a projected 12 million boxes for the 2024-25 season — a nearly 95% reduction.

Citrus greening has since spread to Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Arizona and California.

Florida growers have battled compounding issues like devastating hurricanes, which could move the psyllid further along in the state. Hurricane Wilma (October 2005) caused $180 million in damage; Hurricane Irma (2017) caused nearly $760 million; Hurricane Ian (September 2022) hit 375,000 acres and caused about $675 million; and Hurricane Milton impacted 166,000 acres and caused about $55 million in damage.

The Farm Journal Foundation’s “Mean 16” list calls for greater public investment in agriculture research and development. ( Read the full report here. )

No Silver Bullet

The report notes that many of the crop pests on the list lack full and effective treatments. Researchers across the globe and country seek to provide both short- and long-term solutions to this devastating disease.

Tripti Vashisth, associate professor of horticultural sciences and citrus extension specialist with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), says growers must manage irrigation, nutrition, plant-growth regulators, psyllid control and antibiotic injections for trees infected with citrus greening.

“For the growers, it becomes really challenging that they have to be on top of each of these things, because once the tree has an infection, it is not as forgiving as a healthy tree,” she says. “If you miss fertilization on a healthy tree, it’s way more forgiving, because it has the reserves to run on ... but when it is sick, it needs everything all the time. It has become cumbersome for the growers, and that’s their biggest challenge — that there is no silver bullet and there are many different things that they can do.”

Citrus greening-induced fruit drop is also problematic. Vashisth says prior to developing management strategies, growers could lose 40% to 50% of their crop due to fruit drop.

“After that research, now we have better tools for controlling fruit drop, and it is quite successful,” she continues. “There are two plant growth regulators that we can use to control fruit drop, and it works. The timing is the critical part of it.”

Megan Dewdney, associate professor of plant pathology and Extension specialist with UF/IFAS, says growers have a profound “mindset change” to manage the disease.

“They also had to sort of get their heads around going from that very gentle method of plant management to a much more aggressive, and that’s a very much a mindset change,” she says. “We’re talking about at the same time as a biological problem; we’re also talking about almost a sociological issue.”

Dewdney, who has been with UF/IFAS since 2008, says that while it looked like a rapid expansion across the state, she thinks it was likely a slower progression.

“One of the huge challenges with this disease is the fact that it is within the vascular system, but the fact that it can kind of hide there for a long time in an older, healthy tree,” she says. “So, a tree can look relatively healthy for three, four, five years before it starts to really succumb. And that whole time, if you’ve got psyllids around, they’re able to feed on it and potentially pick up the pathogen and move it along. And so, it’s sort of sitting there silently.”

While short-term management is crucial for survival, the long-term solution lies in research and development, a priority reinforced by the “Mean 16” report.

Manjul Dutt, assistant professor of horticultural sciences with a focus on citrus and subtropical fruit breeding and genetics at UF/IFAS, says that thanks to modern technology fruit breeding — which used to be a 20-year process — is now closer to 10. And his main focus for the future of the industry is to develop HLB-resistant and -tolerant rootstock and varieties.

“Genetic resistance or genetic tolerance to HLB and other diseases remains the only long-term solution,” he says. “We need all those strategies to ensure that the grower is able to have a profitable crop in the short term, but the bottom line is you need to have tolerance and, if you get very lucky, resistance.”

To learn more about the University of Florida’s work on citrus greening, read “ How Florida Citrus is Fighting Back Against Greening Disease .”

FFVA President Calls for USMCA Reforms

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:46:17 GMT

As part of a public hearing on Dec. 3, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner expressed concerns about the impact of produce imports from Mexico under the current U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). During the hearing, he reported significant losses in sales, market share and jobs within Florida’s produce industry due to unfairly priced imports from Mexico.

Joyner’s testimony was part of a hearing with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as the six-year joint review of USMCA approaches on July 1, 2026.

Joyner’s statement follows previously submitted formal comments advocating for measures to ensure fair competition for Southeastern produce growers. In the hearing, Joyner noted the current terms of USMCA lack the necessary trade remedies for these growers.

“When USMCA was enacted by our country in 2020, it promised to improve trade fairness and economic prosperity for American interests,” Joyner says. “Its impact on our industry has been just the opposite.”

Joyner referenced data from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to highlight market shifts over the past 10 to 20 years. Since 2014, Joyner says Mexican blueberries have increased their U.S. market share by nearly fourfold, while Florida’s share has been reduced by half. The market share for Mexican bell peppers has doubled since 2004, Joyner says, while Florida’s has declined by 73%. Similar trends are evident across tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and additional crops, he notes.

“Since 2020, the Mexican industry has seized substantial additional market share and further depressed prices during Florida’s marketing season, causing that much more devastation to our grower community,” he says.

In Joyner’s remarks, he shared the role of government-subsidized development within Mexico, noting the growth of an export-oriented protected agriculture sector, predominantly supplying the U.S. market during Florida’s peak production periods.

His statements urged the administration to implement product-specific seasonal import limits, or tariff rate quotas, during the USMCA joint review.

“Without these measures, American consumers may soon be forced to rely entirely on foreign-sourced fresh produce during several months of the year,” Joyner says. “Compromising our country’s core nutritional needs in this manner jeopardizes America’s food security and, by extension, our national security.”

How Florida Citrus is Fighting Back Against Greening Disease

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:43:11 GMT

It’s hard not to associate Florida citrus with the devastating citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing (HLB). In the 20-plus years the pathogen has been in the state, Florida’s orange production has dropped from 244 million 90-pound boxes in 1998 to 12 million boxes for the 2024-25 season.

While that nearly 95% reduction in orange production has had significant consequences, a team of researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are learning more about HLB and its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid, to help growers combat the threat.

Citrus greening is a global issue, with Brazil now at the epicenter, having almost half of the country’s production impacted. The disease also runs rampant in Asia and Africa. As Tripti Vashisth, associate professor of horticultural sciences and citrus extension specialist with UF/IFAS, notes: The weather is similar to India, but growers in Florida have experienced much more significant loses.

“In my opinion, a lot has to do with the soil,” she says. “The soil in Florida, unfortunately, is sand, which has lower water-holding capacity, lower nutrient-holding capacity. But if you look in India, they have a heavy clay soil; so does China, Nepal and then even Brazil has a very-high-in-iron soil.”

Vashisth says along with soils that don’t hold moisture and nutrients, Florida growers have also faced significant damages from major hurricanes. Hurricane Wilma, which hit October 2005, shortly after greening was first detected, caused $180 million in damage; Hurricane Irma in 2017 caused nearly $760 million in damage; Hurricane Ian in September 2022 hit nearly 375,000 acres of citrus groves and caused about $675 million in damage; Hurricane Milton impacted 166,000 acres and caused about $55 million in damage.

“Once a hurricane hits, it’s just not that year, it’s [the] next couple of years that the trees are just getting back to the normal,” she says. “Milton is not isolated; we were still recovering from Ian, and it has been three hurricanes in six or seven years.”

Short-Term Solutions

As a horticulturalist, Vashisth focuses on what growers can do to help strengthen and create more resilient trees. She says growers have to manage irrigation, nutrition, plant-growth regulators, psyllid control and antibiotic injections; it’s a lot to balance.

“For the growers, it becomes really challenging that they have to be on top of each of these things, because once the tree has an infection, it is not as forgiving as a healthy tree,” she says. “If you miss fertilization on a healthy tree, it’s way more forgiving, because it has the reserves to run on ... but when it is sick, it needs everything all the time. It has become cumbersome for the growers, and that’s their biggest challenge — that there is no silver bullet and there are many different things that they can do.”

Vashisth says that when she started in 2014, it was believed that nothing could help the fruit drop associated with citrus greening, adding that growers can lose between 40% to 50% of their crop yearly due to fruit drop. However, she says she discovered growers applied plant growth regulators at the wrong time.

“After almost three years of research, we found that the signal that tells a fruit that it needs to drop arises almost three months before the actual drop happens,” she says. “So, you have to be applying those plant growth regulators three months before the physical fruit drop begins, which changes the complete scenario because most of the time people see the drop and then they want to apply, but that’s too late to apply.

“After that research, now we have better tools for controlling fruit drop, and it is quite successful,” she continues. “There are two plant growth regulators that we can use to control fruit drop, and it works. The timing is the critical part of it.”

Vashisth says she also looked into the application of gibberellic acid to help encourage leaf development in declining trees. A concern, though, is that encouraging a tree to develop leaves might take resources away from flower development and thus cause a reduction in fruit.

“We applied it, and we did see a reduction in flowering, but interestingly that doesn’t affect the yield of the tree,” she says. “In the end, we get the same amount of fruit. Basically, we reduce the number of flowers, we create more leaves. These leaves can now feed the fruit, and they have a better return.”

She says about 60% of the state’s citrus growers now use gibberellic acid.

“It’s not a silver bullet,” she says. “It’s just one more tool that can help the tree.”

Vashisth says Florida’s sandy soils make it difficult for trees to maintain the right nutrient balance. She says soil moisture levels are also critical for trees with citrus greening. She noticed the state’s dry season overlaps when valencia growers experience fruit drop, and it runs through flowering and fruit set for the next season. She says she found productivity improved by more than double when growers irrigate in small doses daily.

“Even though we are not applying more water, it’s more frequent,” Vashisth says. “The challenge here, from the grower point of view, is that I’m asking them to irrigate at least every day, even if they cannot do three times a day. I’m saying every day, and it takes human labor to turn on those pumps, get the irrigation going, and that’s a challenge.”

This is where she sees the potential for automatic systems and chemigation to help growers deploy gibberellic acid during months when growers aren’t using sprayers in November and December.

Vashisth says another challenge to research is that each citrus variety responds differently to HLB. Of the sweet orange varieties, hamlin is more susceptible than valencia. Murcott mandarins can drop up to 60% of its fruit if not managed properly. She says rootstock, too, has different responses to greening.

“Every variety has a different response, and it just depends on where they are grown,” she says. “Soil has a lot to do with how the trees respond. The same treatment at one place may result different have different results at different places.”

Vashisth decsribes her work with growers on improving tree health as a partnership, noting she’s trying to help growers manage groves with the best tools available. She says a major focus of her research going forward will be looking at abiotic stress and its impact on fruit quality.

“We are doing things that can be short-to-mid-term goals so we have something that can be adopted right away,” she says.

Manjul Dutt, assistant professor of horticultural sciences with a focus on citrus and subtropical fruit breeding and genetics at UF/IFAS, has modified grapefruit citrus embryonic callus cells, which he says are similar to human stem cells, through conventional methods or using biotechnology to develop into new citrus plants with what he hopes is resistance to huanglongbing.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Whole System Disease

Megan Dewdney, associate professor of plant pathology and Extension specialist with UF/IFAS, says growers in Florida had been lucky up until the onset of citrus greening, as there weren’t many significant diseases or insects to manage. Going from changes in production and income to a different management technique was an adjustment, she says.

“They also had to sort of get their heads around going from that very gentle method of plant management to a much more aggressive, and that’s a very much a mindset change,” she says. “We’re talking about at the same time as a biological problem; we’re also talking about almost a sociological issue.”

Dewdney, who joined UF/IFAS in 2008, says while HLB looked like a rapid onset, she thinks it was a slower progression.

“It looked like it was explosive, but I suspect it was more of a gradual creep, but it was silent,” she says.

Dewdney says she works a lot with her entomological colleagues, as the Asian citrus psyllid is a vector of the disease. She says it’s important to understand as much about the insect and the pathogen.

“One of the huge challenges with this disease is the fact that it is within the vascular system, but the fact that it can kind of hide there for a long time in an older, healthy tree,” she says. “So, a tree can look relatively healthy for three, four, five years before it starts to really succumb. And that whole time, if you’ve got psyllids around, they’re able to feed on it and potentially pick up the pathogen and move it along. And so, it’s sort of sitting there silently.”

Dewdney says trees might not exhibit any symptoms or might just look off, so a grower might think it’s a fertilizer issue or something else other than greening. While a tree infected with HLB looks more stressed, other pathogens might cause additional issues. She says she sees more prevalence in twig dieback and stem end rot in trees infected with greening. While thought of as a postharvest disease, stem end rot now shows up in the field.

“When a weakened fruit starts to detach, it doesn’t fully detach,” she says. “Now you see these organisms going in, and you see the stem end rot on the tree instead of where you’d normally see it in the packinghouse, but that fruit is not heavy enough to drop, because it’s deficient.”

Dewdney says HLB has also complicated growers’ management of phytophthora. She says HLB-infected roots attract phytophthora zoospores. Also, systemic products for phytophthora management don’t work as well, she suspects, in part due to the tree’s weakened vascular system. Greening also affects flowering patterns, Dewdney says, noting that a branch or branches might flower early, which can allow a pathogen that causes post-bloom to build up inoculum.

“If you’re unlucky enough to have the right weather conditions at bloom, which is wet and wet and warm, you see explosive bloom, explosive disease in the field, because it’s been building up over spring on all these weakened trees,” she says. “This has the secondary effect that this disease [has], called post-bloom fruit drops. It makes the little fruitlets fall off, and then you don’t have any fruit this just before you even get to worrying about anything.”

She notes that growers often start young trees, which are very susceptible to HLB, under individual protective covers, or IPCs, which are mesh bags that protect the young citrus trees from pests. However, growers still need to be proactive with insect and disease control. An unprotected tree will die within a year, while an established citrus tree that gets infected at year eight or longer will have a slower decline.

Dewdney says that before the prevalence of citrus greening, it would take growers about seven years to get to a profitable production level.

“Now, I don’t know if it’s even if it’s that short anymore to get to profit, but the trees don’t necessarily last longer than three, four, five years,” she says. “It is a tree canopy disease because it absolutely decimates systems.”

Dewdney says she and a research team will look at trunk injections of oxytetracycline and its alternatives, as well as the optimal timing of applications for young trees.

“I don’t think we’ve seen too much that looks much better than the oxytetracycline so far,” she says. “There’s always hope that something a little less difficult to work with and less controversial.”

All the while, growers face tough decisions on whether to stay in the citrus business.

“We’re talking about family farms, businesses that have been in the families for multiple generations,” Dewdney says. “It’s just heartbreaking to watch this. I’ve had growers that are practically in tears on the phone with me, saying, ‘I don’t know how much longer I can go.’ That’s really hard to listen to. We’re not going to hang up on that poor person, because you know that they’re going through an absolute crisis.”

Manjul Dutt, assistant professor of horticultural sciences UF/IFAS, says as a citrus breeder, he and his team deploy a combination of breeding techniques developed more than 200 years ago, with modern breeding strategies such as CRISPR and AI. Here, with some genetically modified citrus rootstocks with potential HLB resistance. "“It’s an exciting time to be a plant breeder, I think so, because there’s a huge potential in actually making a significant contribution to the field, given what you’ve seen with HLB,” he says.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

A Look Ahead

While seedless membranes and flavor are obviously important, the ultimate goal is to have HLB-resistant cultivars and rootstock, says Manjul Dutt, assistant professor of horticultural sciences with a focus on citrus and subtropical fruit breeding and genetics at UF/IFAS.

“Genetic resistance or genetic tolerance to HLB and other diseases remains the only long-term solution,” he says. “We need all those strategies to ensure that the grower is able to have a profitable crop in the short term, but the bottom line is you need to have tolerance and, if you get very lucky, resistance.”

Traditional breeding used to be a nearly 20-year process, but thanks to modern technology, Dutt says it’s closer to 10 years. A challenge to developing new cultivars is that sweet oranges and grapefruits have limited genetic diversity, which also limits genetic resistance.

In grapefruits, Dutt says he modifies citrus embryonic callus cells, which he says are similar to human stem cells, through conventional methods or using biotechnology. These then get placed in growing mediums with plant hormones to develop into new citrus plants.

“Using plant biotechnology, plant genetics, you can actually accelerate the process of hopefully trying to find that one needle in the haystack,” he says.

Wild strains could be a source of new genetic diversity, but they often have unpleasant tastes, so Dutt sees wild strains as a good source of resistant and tolerant rootstock. He says having both resistance and tolerance in the scion and the rootstock will be the best defense against citrus greening.

“We are screening large populations of seedlings to identify natural variation, because natural variation happens,” he says. “We are also using many tools to actually induce other kinds of variation, such as genome editing and the development of GMO plants.”

And he says an HLB-tolerant rootstock developed through using CRISPR could support a tolerant non-GMO sweet orange variety.

“Citrus breeding is a very slow and long-term process,” he says. “You have to use multiple strategies. We have all these different strategies, conventional breeding, GMO, CRISPR, you name it. We’re all doing that at the same time. Now it’s more work for my folks, more work for me, but there is an urgent need to get that done.”

He says his team focuses primarily on sweet oranges and grapefruits but also does a little research in mandarins.

“The first objective is for us to stabilize the industry,” he says. “Even if I have a breakthrough in a mandarin that’s not going to stabilize our industry, we need to have breakthroughs with sweet oranges with grapefruits, because that’s the bulk of our industry.”

But a happy accident did happen along the way in Dutt’s research. As his team incorporated finger limes into the research program due to its high tolerance to citrus greening, Dutt developed two red-pigmented finger lime varieties. He says, along with its promising potential for growers, he sees finger limes as a potential source for HLB-tolerant rootstocks.

Dutt says his team is also looking into the potential of finger limes in a breeding program.

“We know it has good genetic potential, but what can we do with it?” he says. “We did an experiment to see how it works as a rootstock. It worked well. Will it work well as a parent? We don’t know, and that’s too early, but we do have hybrid populations with UF SunLime as one of the parents. So, you know, science never stops.”

He says he and his research team have hundreds of trees being evaluated for tolerance and resistance to HLB, and there’s a team comparing the resistance and susceptibility of related cultivars to learn what triggers the tolerance and resistance.

“And if you can identify those differences, can we utilize those to build better citrus?” he says.

Dutt says, as a citrus breeder, he and his team deploy a combination of breeding techniques developed more than 200 years ago and modern breeding strategies such as CRISPR and artificial intelligence.

“It’s an exciting time to be a plant breeder, I think, because there’s a huge potential in actually making a significant contribution to the field, given what you’ve seen with HLB,” he says.

Unlocking New Potential With Specialty Finger Limes in Florida

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:53:07 GMT

As Manjul Dutt, assistant professor of horticultural sciences with a focus on citrus and subtropical fruit breeding and genetics at University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has focused on unlocking citrus breeding stock that is tolerant of resistant to the citrus green disease huanglongbing, he’s also unlocked a new potential opportunity for Florida growers.

Australian finger limes are naturally HLB-tolerant. As a post-doctoral researcher, Dutt says he crossed finger lime genetics with conventional citrus to look for the next generation of sweet orange and grapefruit cultivars resistant or tolerant to the citrus greening bacteria. And as he evaluated some of the germplasm, a citrus grower told him that there was an economic potential for new finger lime varieties.

“There is a huge need in the specialty citrus industry for finger limes,” Dutt says, noting that the grower told him, “‘I just came back from California, and I paid a lot of money to buy a dish that had the finger lime pearls in it.’ He’s like, ‘high-end restaurants, chefs, bartenders, mixologists — they all would really want the finger lime.’”

Lijun “Angelia” Chen, assistant professor in the UF Food and Resource Economics Department, says part of the appeal of finger limes is the “tiny, caviar-like pearls that pop in your mouth with a fresh citrus burst.”

Dutt says he decided to expand the breeding program to look at the economic potential of the finger lime crosses, while remaining focused on providing growers with HLB-tolerant sweet orange, grapefruit and citrus rootstock.

He conducted an informal survey on the color profile of finger limes, which range from pale to pink to deep red.

“Nine out of 10 people wanted red, so we decided to release the red ones,” Dutt says.

This specialty program has released two varieties. UF SunLime is a hybrid finger lime that produces large, cylindrical fruit. Fruits range from 2.7 inches to 3.1 inches and offer a rich red color when mature. The fruit weighs around 30.4 grams on average and has up to five seeds. UF RedLime produces narrow, longer fruit that range from 4.2 inches to 4.8 inches. Fruits weigh 28.8 grams and average four to 14 seeds.

SunLime is tolerant to HLB but susceptible to citrus scab, and RedLime is highly tolerant to HLB.

Dutt calls all this “serendipity,” as he knows that there’s even interest in growers outside of the state. Earlier this year, UF/IFAS held a finger lime field day and some Texas growers who attended saw the potential to bring UF SunLime and UF RedLime to the Dallas and Houston markets.

Unlocking the Potential

Dutt says he has worked with UF colleagues to look at the economics of consumer interest, as well as with Chen to look at the sensory attributes and with the horticulture department to look at postharvest.

Chen says her team seeks to address key barriers to a successful value chain for Florida finger limes.

“On the economic and marketing side, we’re exploring market potential from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, including growers, extension professionals, consumers, chefs and mixologists, to support informed, sustainable growth,” she says.

While there’s interest from growers, thanks in part to HLB resistance, consumer awareness and knowledge about finger limes remains low, Chen says, though food enthusiasts, connoisseurs and adventurists have shown strong interest in the specialty citrus.

“Finger limes, positioned as a specialty/luxury product (due to novelty and high price points), have gained significant attention in high-end culinary and mixology scenes,” she says. “However, the supply chain still needs development, as growers want to know who to sell to and consumers want to know where they can buy them.”

But Chen sees potential as consumers seek out creative dining and craft cocktail experiences.

“Finger limes benefit from this trend because they’re unique, eye-catching and elevate presentation and flavor,” she says. “Plus, the rise of social media and influencer marketing makes it easier than ever to showcase eye-catching dishes and drinks featuring finger limes to a wider audience.

Chen says servers, chefs and mixologists, as well as social media influencers, can help promote the use of finger limes in food and drinks, noting this can help inform consumers on how to best incorporate finger limes into their households and shape initial demand.

“In-store sampling, trade show displays and farmers market appearances can all be promising venues for continued promotion and education,” she says.

But she tempers that potential with the caution that awareness for finger limes should grow slowly and steadily to ensure finger limes’ long-term potential in the industry.

“Continued research is critical to ensure sustainable growth of this specialty citrus and avoid potential boom-bust cycles,” Chen says. “Strategic market development backed by data will help finger lime producers build long-term viability in this emerging sector.”

Sunny Outlook for Florida Tomato Season

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:29:34 GMT

Things look good this season in the Sunshine State for tomato growers, says Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange and manager of the Florida Tomato Committee.

Help from weather conditions and regulatory changes all bode well for this year’s crop and for future domestic demand, he says.

Guenther sat down with The Packer to discuss this season’s outlook and the immediate impacts of the end of the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement.

How is this year’s tomato crop looking so far compared to last season?

Guenther: We have had a strong start to the season. Unlike last year, having to deal with two hurricanes back to back, this year we have seen exceptional growing conditions for tomatoes here in Florida (knock on wood), which is producing some of the best quality tomatoes growers have seen in years.

(Photo courtesy of the Florida Tomato Exchange )

Have there been acreage or planting decision adjustments for this season? If so, what drove that choice?

I think it is too early to tell. However, we have seen several new packing and shipping operations sign up for this year’s marketing season (October to June) through the federal marketing order.

Do you see the current policy environment encouraging growers to reinvest or expand acreage?

On the domestic side, we are in a government shutdown, so it’s hard to gauge until they reopen the government and Congress gets back to work. I do know that Florida tomatoes are very aligned with other specialty organizations supporting the renewal of the farm bill. If that occurs, I see some important opportunities with new investments in marketing, promotion and research programs.

I would also add that the upcoming negotiations on the USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement) between the United States, Canada and Mexico will be an important policy area that tomato growers across the country will be engaged in to ensure fair market conditions are implemented as well as continuing each country’s right to address unfair trade practices.

What are the biggest production challenges this year in Florida?

Well, that never changes: Weather and cost of production, which is mostly driven by labor cost. We have had some important regulatory victories in the last several months to help us with labor challenges and, most importantly, stabilizing the H-2A program. More can be done, but it’s a good start as we begin our growing season and our growers are signing up guest workers for their season.

Are you seeing any noticeable changes in competition or buyer interest in Florida tomatoes since the termination [of the Tomato Suspension Agreement]?

I think those observations will come later in the season, say January through the spring. At the moment with the season just starting, growers are working hard to fulfill their obligations with customers.

Have wholesale or fob prices improved enough to offset higher input costs?

Ask me that at the end of the season! But we are watching this very closely to better understand how market prices (both grower returns and retail prices) react to the new policy environment that are in place this season. Remember, the United States and Mexico are implementing new requirements on how tomatoes will flow through the U.S. market.

What does the business outlook look like for Florida tomato growers this year and looking ahead to 2026?

I am very bullish about the outlook for this year and into 2026.

First, if we can get a strong farm bill, USMCA can be negotiated in an appropriate manner; we see additional regulatory relief, which can help with cost of production impacts, and anti-dumping requirements stabilize the domestic market, the future looks bright for the Florida tomato industry.

Second, we have tremendously good weather to kick off the season.

What does a profitable price point look like for Florida growers now, compared to before the agreement ended?

That depends on input cost, weather, the economy and consumer demand. Right now, it would be difficult to point to an actual price point. Quite frankly, the tomato market can move up and down very quickly because of and of these factors or a combination of them.

What would a good year look like to you under these new trade conditions?

Less volatility in the market, including a reduction in import surges, which is what we saw last season and improved returns for growers.

How do you think Florida’s winter crop window positions Florida tomatoes compared to imports under the new trade conditions?

Well, I can say we feel we are positioned much better than we have been in the past 30 years. Again, the new trade conditions are in place to build a strong and stable market and supply of fresh tomatoes for the U.S. consumer.

Has the end of the suspension agreement changed the way Florida tomato growers plan or market their crops?

We will know much more at the end of this season and beyond, but we are focusing a lot of attention on this space as the new policies come into full effect.

What’s your sense of how Florida’s tomato future looks five years out?

I hope that consumer demand increases, new varieties are introduced that sync with consumer preferences, additional market expansion, and a strong and unified domestic tomato industry.

What California Citrus Growers Expect for This Season

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:20:38 GMT

Favorable growing conditions should result in a larger California navel orange crop this year than last.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates the 2025-26 crop will reach 80 million 40-pound cartons, up from 75.8 million cartons last year. Growers, however, think factors like rainfall and pests could prevent production from reaching the 80 million mark, says Casey Creamer, president of Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual.

The valencia orange crop was winding down in late October, and some navels and mandarins were already being harvested as well as lemons in the San Joaquin Valley and the desert regions, Creamer says.

Sunkist Growers

Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers Inc. kicked off its season with lemons and pummelos, says Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing. Promotional volume of navel oranges was expected by mid-November.

“This year’s navel crop is showing larger sizing and excellent quality, setting up strong promotional opportunities heading into the holidays,” Howard says.

Sunkist Cali mandarins will begin harvest in mid-November, with promotional volumes available in early December. Cara cara navels and blood oranges will join the lineup in December.

Sunkist is expanding its retail-ready packaging offerings, especially for premium specialty varieties like cara cara navels, Howard says.

“Our 2- and 3-pound bag formats continue to show strong growth and remain a key driver for both value and convenience in the produce department,” she says.

And Sunkist is building on strong brand momentum with refreshed in-store merchandising and consumer-facing creative that is part of its Sunny Days campaign, Howard says.

“These updated assets help drive citrus trial and conversion by combining bold visuals with variety-specific messaging,”
she says.

The co-op also is introducing an 8-pound, limited-edition, pink-ribbon bag under its Power with the Pink Orange program as part of its partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Sunkist announced earlier this year that Santa Paula, Calif.-based Limoneira Co., one of Sunkist’s founding members, would rejoin the organization Nov. 1.

“Limoneira’s addition to the Sunkist program enhances our ability to deliver consistent, high-quality citrus across North America,” Howard says.

Cecelia Packing

Orange Cove, Calif.-based Cecelia Packing Corp. is working on a new grapefruit label, says salesman Dominic DeNatale. It should be available early next year, when the star ruby grapefruit deal kicks off.

“We have some young trees that we planted a few years ago that are just getting into production,” he says.

The company’s grapefruit program was well received after its launch last year, and it plans to ramp up production over the next few seasons, DeNatale says. The firm also offers minneola tangelos and navel, valencia, cara cara and blood oranges.

Packing for navel oranges was scheduled to get underway Nov. 3.

“We’re looking at a really nice crop with very little disease pressure and a nice mix of sizing,” DeNatale says.

The company is particularly proud of its Sky Valley navel heirloom program with trees from the 1930s, he says.

“The old rootstock produces a great eating piece of fruit that some of our customers really love,” DeNatale says. “It’s low acid, high Brix, really sweet and has a great-tasting profile.”

They’re available from around Christmastime until early April.

DeNatale expects a stronger navel orange market this year than last.

“The market took a crash last year because of all the small fruit,” he says. “I don’t foresee that being an issue for this season.”

The company is moving away from its golden nugget mandarin program because of a saturated market, he adds.

Bee Sweet Citrus

Bee Sweet Citrus Inc., Fowler, Calif., will offer a complete lineup of citrus varieties this season, says Randy Stucky, director of harvesting and grower relations.

“We’ve already started with lemons, grapefruit, Golden Gem grapefruit, pummelos and navel oranges,” he said in late October. “In November, we will begin harvesting satsuma mandarins, clementine mandarins, cara cara oranges and Royal Red oranges.”

Bee Sweet will ship minneola tangelos as well as tango and murcott mandarins after the first of the year.

A mild summer made for excellent growing conditions during August and September, Stucky says. The few rainstorms that occurred will help fruit size up.

Fruit size is up compared to last year, and quality will be good, he says.

Bee Sweet’s lemon volume is expected to be similar to last season, while overall volume of mandarins will decrease slightly.

“Despite fewer pieces per tree in navel oranges, size structure is larger, so we anticipate an increase in total volume,” he says.

Wonderful Citrus

The California citrus season and Texas red grapefruit season begin in the fall for Delano, Calif.-based Wonderful Citrus, says Zak Laffite, president.

California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos runs November through May, before the summer import program begins to achieve year-round availability, he says.

The company began its sixth season for Wonderful Seedless Lemons in July and will have year-round distribution nationwide with some of the biggest retailers in America, Laffite says, including Whole Foods, Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Kroger.

“Additionally, we offer a full portfolio of citrus, including navels, lemons, cara caras, minneolas, blood oranges and Texas oranges, grapefruit and limes,” he says.

Fall Crops Play Key Role in Florida Ag's $7.8B in Annual Cash Receipts

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 23:03:50 GMT

The Sunshine State’s fields and groves are flourishing with seasonal abundance, from vibrant citrus and sweet strawberries to creamy avocados and crisp vegetables.

Growers and producers alike say this season’s crops reflect not only Florida’s agricultural diversity but also its determination to keep fresh, locally grown produce flowing to consumers nationwide.

Florida’s agriculture industry is a vital part of the state’s economy, with 44,400 farms spanning 9.7 million acres, producing more than 300 different commodities, says Susie McKinley, director of the division of marketing and development for Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee, Fla.

“Many of Florida’s top-ranked commodities, such as tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet corn, snap beans, squash and watermelons, are harvested during the fall season and contribute significantly to the state’s agricultural output,” McKinley says. “Florida ranks first in the nation in the value of production for oranges, sugarcane, fresh market tomatoes, watermelons, grapefruit and fresh market snap beans. It also ranks second for bell peppers and strawberries and third for cabbage and sweet corn.

“These rankings highlight the importance of fall-harvested crops in sustaining Florida’s role as a national leader in fresh produce. Overall, Florida agriculture generates more than $7.8 billion in cash receipts annually, and fall crops play a key role in supporting that economic impact through production, employment and supply chain contributions,” McKinley says.

Season Outlook

As temperatures cool across the country, Florida’s fall harvest is just heating up. Key fruits and vegetables in season include bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, snap beans, avocados, carrots, radishes, watermelons, tomatoes and sweet corn.

“Fall also marks the beginning of our citrus season, with early varieties of oranges, tangerines and grapefruit coming into harvest,” McKinley says. “It’s also the start of leafy greens like romaine, as well as the first signs of Florida’s famous strawberry season.”

McKinley says demand has increased in recent years for Florida-grown fruits and vegetables.

“This trend reflects strong consumer interest in fresh, local products and highlights the strength of Florida’s year-round growing capabilities. From retail to foodservice, Florida agriculture is experiencing consistent growth and expanding its presence in markets nationwide,” McKinley says.

Lipman Family Farms’ fall focus is on tomatoes — particularly Crimson, roma and grape — as well as chili peppers, cucumbers, green beans and squash, says Bo Bates, the company’s president of farming.

“In general, Florida is critical to our vertically integrated business model. For example, as tomato harvests in Tennessee and Virginia wind down, tomatoes in the Palmetto/Ruskin region ramp up and enhance our supply from the Quincy area,” Bates says. “Another is Florida’s mid-to-late November green bean season that corresponds with Georgia’s. We balance geography and timing to ensure a continuous Eastern supply throughout the year. In particular, Florida ensures strong produce availability ahead of Thanksgiving promotions.”

The 2025 fall outlook is looking even better than last year, Bates adds, with smooth, steady supply transitions, minimal disruptions and healthy plants.

“Favorable weather across Florida fields is also keeping us on track for an excellent year,” Bates says.

Wish Farms grows conventional and organic Florida strawberries, along with its signature Pink-A-Boo pineberries.

“The pineberry program continues to be a standout in our portfolio; it’s one of those items that truly catches shoppers’ attention,” says Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director and owner of Wish Farms. “With their blush-pink hue, sweet aroma and flavor notes of pineapple, pear and apricot, pineberries deliver a unique eating experience that’s both refreshing and memorable. Consumer interest remains strong season after season, and this specialty berry has built a loyal following as a limited-time Florida-grown offering.”

Early field conditions and plant health have been ideal, Wishnatzki adds, “giving us every reason to be optimistic about a strong Florida harvest.”

Southern Specialties is harvesting green beans, star fruit, chili peppers, baby arugula, watercress, specialty eggplant and Asian vegetables this season, says Charlie Eagle, vice president, business development.

For fall, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is leaning into its core Florida-grown items: celery, radishes, sweet corn, lettuce and leafy greens.

“Our fall promotion, ‘Dip It 2 Win It,’ specifically supports celery sales during the post-Thanksgiving time frame when we are looking to extend our peak sales season into the first quarter,” says John Alderman, director of sales for Duda Farm Fresh Foods.

“Additionally, our sweet corn, which is grown and packed in the same region, drastically improves shelf-life and offers customers and consumers optimal freshness,” Alderman adds. “We will be wrapping up production at our new Georgia facility in mid-November and then transitioning to Florida. We’ve continued to see tray pack volumes build in popularity with consumers for its pre-shucked and pre-cut convenience.”

Compared with last year, the fall outlook is steady, with supply supported by staggered plantings and multistate production (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia and Michigan) that help balance regional weather and market swings, Alderman says.

Demand for Florida-Grown

Fresh From Florida is running a dynamic fall marketing campaign across TV, radio, podcasts, digital platforms and in-store promotions, McKinley says.

“Through the Retail Incentive Program, participating stores can highlight Florida-grown products using circular ads, digital placements, custom displays, recipes and sampling events. With nearly 1.4 million social media followers and 35 years of trusted branding, Fresh From Florida continues to drive produce sales and increase consumer awareness,” says McKinley, adding that those who follow Fresh From Florida on Facebook and Instagram can stay connected with seasonal recipes, farmer stories and Florida-grown highlights.

Cheryl Hoefs, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Lipman Family Farms, says consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from, and corresponding retailer interest in locally grown and consistent Eastern supply supports it.

“We see a focus on increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. As inflation affects other food categories, fresh produce is competitively positioned,” Hoefs says. “Price sensitivity is there, but consumers understand the value, health benefits and convenience of fresh produce.

“To meet the season’s opportunities, Lipman and its retail partners are focused on year-round consistency, along with local sourcing and quality from the fields,” Hoefs adds.

For Wish Farms, strawberries continue to drive growth across the berry category, with the segment adding more than $500 million in year-over-year gains, Wishnatzki says.

“Health-conscious consumers are increasingly drawn to berries as an everyday snack — something sweet, flavorful and family-friendly that also supports their wellness goals. At Wish Farms, our team is closely aligned with retail partners to forecast demand, plan promotions and keep Florida-grown berries front and center during peak supply windows,” Wishnatzki says.

Fall Marketing Campaigns

Hoefs says the Crimson tomato has been an anchor of Lipman’s fall marketing and trade show presence.

“This is a juicy, deep red and homegrown variety from Florida. It’s our ‘crown jewel’ tomato. Both chefs and retailers love it,” Hoefs says. The Crimson was highlighted at the International Fresh Produce Association’s 2025 Global Produce and Floral Show, alongside the Lipman fresh-cut lineup.

“Our expanded fresh-cut program includes appetizing fajita and pico de gallo mixes, salsa, perfectly prepared bell peppers, onions and more,” Hoefs says. “It’s all innovatively prepared at the peak of flavor and packed to maximize shelf life for retail and foodservice.”

These initiatives reinforce Lipman’s “grower-at-heart” identity and the innovation behind its vertically integrated operations, Hoefs adds.

Florida is Southern Specialties’ largest source for green beans, Eagle says.

“Our growers will start harvesting in October and finish around April/May. From [the] November toApril window, Florida is the only source for Domestic green bean production, making us stand out in the marketplace,” Eagle says.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ fall marketing campaign consists of celery dippers (petite 2-inch fresh-cut sticks), a recent line built for snacking, with bilingual packaging extending reach in North America. The dippers debuted in 2023, expanded in 2024 (including bilingual packs and foodservice SKUs) and continue to anchor fall snacking sets, Alderman says.

Broader Dandy value-added celery (sticks, hearts, snackers) and Ready Radishes provide convenient, pre-washed options that fit party platters and weeknight meals — ideal for fourth-quarter traffic, Alderman says.

“Our annual fall/winter consumer-facing sweepstakes, ‘Dip It 2 Win It,’ underscores the relevance celery plays in healthy snack scenarios in and throughout football season and supports retailer sales with multi-tier activations leading into the holidays,” says Alderman, who adds that the company is gearing up for the launch of a brand-new snacking item that will be available in retail by the end of the year.

Fall is strategic for Duda Farm Fresh Foods because it bridges back-to-school, football and holiday entertaining, which are prime occasions for fresh-cut celery and radish snacking alongside cooking vegetables like sweet corn and leafy greens, Alderman says.

Mission Produce Expands Operations, Distribution to Miami

Oxnard, Calif.-based Mission Produce has expanded its operations and distribution to Miami. The company, which sources, produces and distributes fresh hass avocados, says the move will enable it to directly service customers in Florida with its signature World’s Finest Avocados and World’s Finest Mangos, as well as provide ripening and bagging services.

“Mission’s strategic decision to open a ripening and distribution center in Miami was driven by the great potential for both the avocado and mango categories in the market — and fall is a key time to tap into promotion opportunities,” says Brooke Becker, senior vice president of sales for Mission Produce.

“Nearly half of Florida shoppers are buying avocados during the fall, and that number jumps to 73% for Hispanic shoppers,” Becker says. “The fall season is no longer just about traditional staples. Avocados are showing up in more holiday dishes, game-day spreads and family gatherings. That’s a big opportunity for retailers to capture incremental sales as consumers look for fresh, versatile ingredients.”

Thanksgiving is becoming a real moment for avocados and mangoes, says Becker, who notes that, in the Southeast, holiday-week volume has climbed 15% for avocados and 25% for mangoes since 2021, “proof that these fruits are earning a place on more holiday tables every year.”

Becker says Florida is more than just a strategic hub. “It’s a dynamic, fast-growing market with the right demographics and retail landscape to drive meaningful category growth,” she says. “With our Miami facility online, Mission Produce is better positioned than ever to fuel growth in Florida and deliver the World’s Finest Avocados and Mangos to customers across the state.”

Wish Farms Kicks Off Florida Strawberry Season With Optimism

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:43:39 GMT

After a season marked by Hurricane Milton’s impacts and rising input and labor costs, Wish Farms is entering the 2025-26 Florida strawberry season with renewed hope.

Running from November through April, the season promises exceptional quality and flavor, according to the company.

“Last year was a challenge,” says Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director for Wish Farms. “But our team’s strategy, resilience and adaptability have us feeling confident about the season. We’re eager to deliver berries that live up to our mission of providing the best tasting berries.”

This season Wish Farms and its partners are growing four key University of Florida strawberry varieties: Brilliance, Medallion, Ember and Encore. The newer Ember and Encore varieties offer a wide array of characteristics, including size, flavor and enhanced disease resistance, the company says.

“Based on last year’s performance, we expect Ember and Encore to deliver this season,” Wishnatzki says. “They have the potential to provide an overall boost in yield and productivity.”

When it comes to organic production, the company is positioning itself around these new varieties to maximize flavor and surety of supply. With strong performance projected, Wish Farms says it expects to turn a new, successful chapter in its organic program.

The company says it represents around 17% of the Florida industry, with over 2,500 acres of conventional, organic and Pink-A-Boo pineberry production. Wish Farms’ pineberry program continues to be a bright spot. Its steady consumer interest and strong field performance distinguishes itself as a special item that shoppers can only find on the shelf during the Florida season, the company says.

There is also hope on the horizon for farmers when it comes to rising labor costs. Changes to the H-2A program’s Adverse Effect Wage Rate and crew deployment rules will allow for greater labor flexibility, reduced costs and improved compliance. It promises to give berry growers the freedom to manage labor efficiently while staying compliant, according to the company.

“Although the changes won’t be reflected this season, these reforms have the potential to be a big win for the domestic industry and help level the playing field with Mexico,” Wishnatzki says.

Wish Farms says strawberries continue to lead berry category growth, with $500 million in year-over-year dollar gains. With strong consumer demand and a robust supply chain, Wish Farms says it is well positioned to meet market needs with high-quality berries and reliable delivery.

FFVA Names Bryn Fussell to Leadership Roles

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:05:14 GMT

The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association named Bryn Fussell as its new director of membership and the executive director of the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation on Oct. 24. She replaces Sonia Tighe, who retired in September.

Fussell will manage FFVA’s membership recruitment, retention and administration efforts and direct the initiatives of the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that oversees several scholarship initiatives as well as the Emerging Leader Development Program. Since 2011, more than 150 participants have graduated from the program, which develops leaders to be strong advocates for Florida agriculture.

“Bryn’s deep commitment to education and developing future leaders will be invaluable as she guides our Emerging Leader Development Program to even greater success. We are thrilled to welcome Bryn to the FFVA team,” says Mike Joyner, FFVA president.

Fussell previously was the director of the Youth Academy at Orlando Family Stage, one of the largest nonprofit professional theaters for young audiences in the U.S. and the only one of its kind in Florida.

Wish Farms Wraps Successful Pick-A-Berry, Pick-A-Cause Giveaway and Charity Campaign

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 20:24:30 GMT

Wish Farms, a Plant City, Fla.-based international grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and pineberries, concluded its annual $10,000 charitable consumer campaign, Pick-A-Berry, Pick-A-Cause .

Now in its fourth year, the initiative continues to grow organically, engaging consumers while supporting meaningful causes aligned with the Wish Farms Family Foundation’s pillars of giving: food security, youth education and community, according to the company. This year’s donations were distributed among three nonprofit organizations:

Feeding Tampa Bay — A member of the Feeding America network, the organization connects nearly 1 million people with resources that foster long-term stability.
Redlands Christian Migrant Association — Serving Florida’s migrant farmworker and rural low-income communities since 1965, RCMA supports over 6,500 children across 66 centers and provides adult education programs.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay — Florida’s oldest and one of the nation’s largest Boys & Girls Club organizations, BGCGTB operates 65 locations across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, serving over 24,000 youth annually.

The campaign ran from Aug. 27 to Sept. 30, generating 259,027 entries and 517,348 impressions — a 27% increase in participation over the previous year, the company says. Five lucky entrants received cash prizes totaling $2,000. Participants were invited to select their preferred cause upon entry at WishFarms.com, with donations allocated based on vote percentages: Feeding Tampa Bay 49%; RCMA 26%; Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay 25%.

“This campaign has been a resounding success four years running and continues to build momentum,” says Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director for Wish Farms. “It’s a win-win: we grow our audience, spotlight impactful organizations, reward our consumers and spread the ‘Feel Good’ message that defines our brand. We look forward to many more years of giving back in this special way.”

Visit Wish Farms at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Floral and Produce Show in Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 17-19, at booth No. 1239.

Sun Belle to Offer Florida Winter Strawberries

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 19:01:48 GMT

Sun Belle has expanded its strawberry program through new grower partnerships in central Florida. This strategic addition will round out Sun Belle’s robust year-round supply of fresh berries, according to a news release.

The Schiller Park, Ill.-based company says central Florida is known for its thriving winter strawberry crop, producing fruit with exceptional flavor from late November to early April. In partnership with Plant City, Fla. growers, Sun Belle will offer Florida strawberry varieties, including the Florida Brilliance, Florida Ember, Florida Encore and Sweet Sensation, throughout the upcoming winter season.

“This expansion truly aligns with where Sun Belle is as a whole — we are growing rapidly and making strategic, forward-thinking moves that strengthen our supply chain and ensure our retail partners can meet their consumer demand every week of the year,” says JC Clinard, CEO of Frutura’s Berry Division. “It also hits close to home for me. With Plant City being my home base, I’ve come to personally know and trust this passionate community of growers.”

Sun Belle says the Florida crop will complement its existing production in Baja California and central Mexico, creating a seamless supply calendar for retail partners.

“Our experienced team has built a truly notable berry program over the years,” says Taylor Hazelwood, vice president of sales at Sun Belle. “The addition of Florida’s winter crop allows us to continue to provide our retail customers with berries that meet our high-quality standards and satisfy the continued consumer demand for flavorful strawberries every month of the year. It’s an exciting growth opportunity for our retail relationships and for our brand.”

Sun Belle Director of Marketing Hailey Clark says the expansion is aligned with the company’s focus on innovation and more.

“This Florida program is one of many steps Sun Belle is taking to deliver on our brand promise of quality, reliability and innovation,” says Clark. “Our team has been strategically developing new offerings like unique on-the-go blueberry packaging and premium berry programs — initiatives designed to excite loyal berry consumers while also attracting new ones. We’re eager to share these innovations with our family of retail partners.”

Sun Belle will be at the International Fresh Produce Association’s upcoming Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., at the Frutura booth, No. 2081.

Automation Takes Valve Flipping Out of Watermelon Farming

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:36:54 GMT

Even drip irrigation can be made more efficient with comparatively simple, adaptable irrigation automation technology. So says the finding of a University of Florida assessment into watermelon growers in northern Florida’s Suwannee Valley.

Tyler Pittman, the UF Extension agent who conducted the 2024 assessment, explains that watermelon growers in the area already used drip tape under plastic tarping with manual or diesel pumps. Because watermelons benefit from frequent short waterings , and fertilizer efficiency is heavily impacted by proper irrigation, that means a lot of valve flipping for growers.

But the crop is also transient, maybe growing in the same field only once every seven to 10 years according to Pittman, meaning traditional automated irrigation technology built for permanent or consistent crops are difficult for watermelon growers. Pittman wanted to help change that.

“We started with what looked like analog garden timers on water-operated valves,” he says. “We did that with two farmers on about 80 acres as a proof of concept that we could automate this process and take the valve flipping out of the farming so that they could irrigate differently. From there, Toro organically came into the space with Tempus.”

In the 2024 assessment, four area watermelon growers collectively farming 1,883 acres, using Toro’s Tempus AG controller, reported using 24% less water, or an average of 873 gallons, per day irrigating. That amounted to roughly 164 million gallons, or 503 acre-feet, of water saved over the course of the 100-day watermelon growing season in the region.

“We’re flirting with saving more than 696 million gallons of water each year if the farmers of all 8,000 acres of watermelon in the region adopt this technology,” said Pittman in a UF spotlight on the assessment .

Participants in the assessment also reported spending, on average, 1.7 fewer hours in the field per day. One participant reported eliminating three staff as a result of the automation, saving $36,000 over the course of the 100-day growing period, according to an assessment results document.

About the controller

Adoption of irrigation automation in Suwannee Valley’s watermelon growers grew rapidly between 2022 when Pittman conducted his initial proof-of-concept trial on 80 acres to 2024 with the larger assessment. Toro’s Tempus systems have been popular among growers.

“The funny part about [the 2024 assessment] is I was trying to find demo farms for the Toro system, and everybody turned me down,” Pittman says. “Usually, farmers don’t turn down free equipment. But the reason they were turning me down is because they had already purchased it themselves, and that was a testament to the utility of it.”

Tony Tavares, marketing communications manager for Toro, explains the Tempus AG is a controlling automation system developed to be easy to use and install. They are battery powered and use “LoRa” technology that allows for long-range, low-power communication.

This means they “can be installed directly at the valve rather than in a centralized location,” he says. “This makes it very easy to re-deploy the system in different configurations each year as field layouts and irrigation needs change between seasons.”

He adds that the controllers can be operated via Bluetooth by any Android or iOS devices. To use the systems remotely, the controllers need to be in WiFi range or can connect to 4G via base stations provided by Toro.

“I would say probably 90% of the operations here have put in Tempest because it didn’t require the infrastructure and it was simple to install,” says Pittman, adding that the region’s watermelon growers rarely have electricity in the field.

“So having the ability to run something off of 12 volt with solar power that can automate a field, but also be picked up and moved next year to another field, was kind of the big selling point for a lot of our growers,” he adds.

The 2025 Packer 25 — Steven Callaham

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:39:10 GMT

Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2025 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. ( You can view all honorees here. ) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.

Steven Callaham — CEO, Dundee Citrus Growers Association

Steven Callaham has been a stalwart in the Florida citrus industry for nearly three decades. He’s served as the executive vice president and CEO of Dundee Citrus Growers Association for the last 22 years.

A University of Florida College of Agriculture graduate, he joined Dundee Citrus Growers in 1999, where he’s led one of the largest grower cooperatives in the state’s citrus industry through unprecedented challenges and innovation.

He serves as the chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and president of Florida Classic Growers. He also serves on multiple industry boards and committees that focus on research, new variety development and grower sustainability.

What makes Florida citrus so special?

Florida citrus is unlike anything else in the world. Our state’s unique subtropical climate, with its warm temperatures, abundant sunshine, and plentiful rainfall, produces fruit with exceptional flavor and unrivaled juiciness. This distinctive taste profile has long set Florida citrus apart, making it a staple in produce departments and households across the country.

Dundee Citrus Growers has a long history in Florida agriculture. How do you balance tradition with innovation?

Reaching a century in business requires both resilience and foresight. At Dundee, we honor our cooperative roots and the trust of our grower-members while embracing bold, forward-looking innovations. Our board and management team are committed to staying ahead of the curve, from investing in groundbreaking production technologies to trialing high-value citrus crops that meet evolving market demands. This balance allows us to preserve our legacy while ensuring we remain leaders in shaping the future of Florida agriculture.

How is Dundee tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the Florida citrus industry?

We are addressing these challenges with both urgency and vision. By maintaining a strong financial position, we have the agility to invest strategically in solutions that strengthen our growers’ long-term sustainability.

This includes large-scale adoption of Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) production, where we are trialing high-value citrus varieties, such as mandarins, limes and specialty fruits, that retailers are actively seeking additional volume and alternative supply solutions for. These efforts, combined with investments in disease-resistant rootstocks and advanced grove management practices, are enabling us to mitigate the impact of greening and rebuild confidence in Florida citrus.

What innovations are you most excited about?

Our most transformative initiative is Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) technology. Dundee has been an early and large-scale adopter of this system, which protects citrus trees from greening disease while creating a controlled environment that enhances fruit quality and yield. Within CUPS, we are pioneering trials of high-value citrus crops that directly respond to unmet consumer demand, offering retailers and consumers the promise of reliable, premium-quality fruit. This innovation not only protects Florida citrus but also positions our growers at the forefront of the industry’s future.

With all the challenges facing the Florida citrus industry, how do you keep grower-members aligned and engaged when the industry is under pressure? How do you personally stay motivated?

Our grower-members remain engaged because we provide them with real opportunities to thrive, from access to cutting-edge production systems like CUPS, to cooperative marketing channels that maximize their returns. We back innovation with robust support services, ensuring our members are not only adopting new technologies but are also equipped to succeed with them.

For me personally, motivation comes from a deep passion for this industry and for Dundee’s role in shaping its future. Even in the most challenging times, we have an inspiring story of resilience and reinvention to share. Being part of writing that story fuels my drive every day.

What does the future hold for the Florida citrus industry?

The future of Florida citrus is not just bright; it is resurgent. Through innovations such as Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS), the introduction of disease-resistant trees, and advanced horticultural practices, Dundee is producing fruit with quality and consistency that surpasses anything we’ve seen before. Simply put, Dundee is back on the map with better quality than ever before.

Retailers are telling us what they need: reliable supply, consistent eating experience, and premium varieties that excite consumers. We are aligning our production directly with those demands, trialing high-value citrus crops that complement and strengthen retail citrus programs. By delivering fruit that meets today’s highest retail standards, we are not only restoring confidence in Florida citrus but creating opportunities for retailers to differentiate themselves with fresh, flavorful, Florida-grown fruit. Florida is well positioned to regain its strength as a citrus powerhouse.

The challenges are real, but so is the determination of our growers and industry leaders. Together, we are building a sustainable, market-driven future where Florida citrus once again stands as a cornerstone of produce departments and a trusted favorite of consumers worldwide.

What advice would you give to the next generation of agricultural leaders?

My advice is simple: embrace innovation, think creatively and surround yourself with smart and passionate people. Agriculture demands both vision and collaboration. The leaders who will make the biggest impact are those willing to take calculated risks, adopt new ideas, and empower others to succeed.

The South Proves ‘Powerhouse of Opportunity’ for Produce Sales

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:15:48 GMT

Florida is on fire. A look at Circana total U.S. produce sales shows Florida and the Southeast markets have far outperformed the rest of the country over the course of the past three to four years.

Florida is also the fastest growing state in the country, according to the 2024 U.S. Census, and earlier this month, the Sunshine State was ranked No. 1 for attracting and developing a skilled workforce for the third consecutive year by Lightcast.

These and other favorable business conditions have continued to attract companies like the Oxnard, Calif.-based Mission Produce, which recently expanded its operations and distribution to Miami. Mission, which sources, produces and distributes fresh hass avocados and mangoes, says its Miami expansion is part of its focus on growth in “high-potential markets.”

“Florida, in particular, is ripe for growth. It’s the fastest-growing state in the country, has a strong Hispanic demographic and already boasts avocado and mango sales that are above the national average,” says Brooke Becker, Mission Produce senior vice president of sales, pointing to Numerator Insights Shopper Metrics for the 12 months ending July 31. “That’s a powerful consumer base paired with a dynamic retail landscape. By expanding in Miami, we’re putting high-quality fruit closer to customers and helping them capture that upside.”

Brooke Becker of Mission Produce discusses company’s strategic expansion to Miami.

(Photo courtesy of Mission Produce)

But Becker sees considerable room for growth in the region’s avocado and mango sales.

“When you look at the numbers, the South is a powerhouse of opportunity…yet the region under-indexes on avocado sales by about five points,” she says, citing Numerator data. “That gap represents nearly $184 million left on the table.Closing even part of that gap — just one more avocado shopping trip per household — could add more than $100 million in sales. That’s meaningful growth for retailers, wholesalers and foodservice alike.”

Florida by the Numbers

According to Circana data (Integrated Fresh, MULO+, Total U.S.), U.S. produce dollar sales percentage change versus a year ago has consistently risen for the Southeast region and Florida markets for the latest 52 weeks, and in Florida metro areas, including Jacksonville, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg for the last four years.

Circana data shows that while total U.S. produce sales are up 18.4% versus four years ago, the Southeast’s total produce sales are up 26.1% versus four years ago, Jacksonville is up 28.2%, Miami/Fort Lauderdale is up 27%, Orlando is up 30.6% and Tampa/St. Petersburg is up 25.9%.

Circana, Integrated Fresh, MULO+, Produce Sales Total U.S., Southeast region and Florida markets, latest 52 weeks:

Total U.S.: $95.05 billion
Southeast: $14.95 billion
Jacksonville: $702 million
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale: $2.6 billion
Orlando: $1.5 billion
Tampa/St. Petersburg: $1.6 billion

Mission Produce sees opportunity to grow avocado and mango sales in the South.

(Photo courtesy of Mission Produce)

Thriving Retail, Strategic Position

Mission Produce has also cited the Southeast’s more than 18,000 retail outlets as an additional boon to its expansion into Miami, as well the city’s strategic location as an import hub.

“Mission Produce is already on the shelves of roughly 20% of retail stores across the Southeast, so our new Miami location positions us to better serve these existing customers and opens the door to new business opportunities,” says Becker citing Circana, Southeast region data for the 52 weeks ending Sept. 7. “We are now importing avocados and mangoes directly into Florida, enabling us to streamline logistics and reduce transit times. By operating in Miami, we’re now able to leverage additional entry points into the U.S. to move product seamlessly across our network.”

Another benefit to Miami is that it serves as a strategic import hub for product sourced from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and other offshore origins, which Mission Produce says provides an additional value.

“Mission imports product to the U.S. from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and several others to provide a reliable, year-round supply of avocados and mangoes,” Becker says. “By operating in Miami, we’re now able to leverage additional entry points into the U.S. to move product seamlessly across our network.”

The Hispanic Shopper

Florida represents one of the strongest growth markets for both avocados and mangoes. In the past 12 months, 76% of Florida shoppers purchased avocados and 46% purchased mangoes — well above the national average of 71% and 40%, respectively, says Mission Produce, pointing to Numerator Insights Shopper Metrics for the 12 months ending July 31.

What’s more, the state’s strong Hispanic demographic is important to the increased consumption of avocados and mangoes.

“Hispanic shoppers are central to the continued growth of the avocado and mango categories,” Becker says. “Nearly 90% of Hispanic households buy avocados and 60% buy mangos — and [according to Numerator, Shopper Metrics] they spend significantly more on both than the average shopper.These buyers greatly value ripeness and quality, and our Miami location enables us to deliver both at an even higher standard.”

Florida Citrus Acreage and Production Decline Again

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:08:54 GMT

Another year brings another reduced Florida citrus crop.

According to a collection of annual reports, released Aug. 29 by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Florida’s total citrus acreage declined 24% this year compared to last. Total production is down 28% across all classes of citrus. While lemons were added to Florida’s production this past year, some counties saw staggering losses.

Citrus Acreage Inventory

According to the annual Florida Commercial Citrus Inventory report, the state had 208,183 total acres of citrus for the 2024-25 year, representing roughly 32,538,800 trees. This is down 24% compared to the 2024 annual report, with a net loss of 66,522 acres, representing about 42,131,500 trees.

The 2024-25 acreage numbers are less than a quarter of what they were in 2000 (832,275 acres) when the survey data began.

By variety, orange acres took the largest hit, both proportionally and in raw acreage. At 183,860 acres, Florida’s orange acres are down almost 26% compared to last year’s 248,028 acres. For the 2024-25 year, orange acres represented 88.3% of total Florida citrus acres.

By comparison, total grapefruit acres (12,787) declined 10.6% from the prior year, and total specialty citrus acres (11,536) were down 6.6%.

The only variety within the report’s categories to see additional acreage in the 2025 report compared to the 2024 report was “other citrus,” part of the specialty citrus category. “Other citrus” includes lemons and excludes mandarins. That subcategory saw an additional 590 acres (11.4%) with a total of 5,762 acres in the current report.

Total citrus acreage losses came from almost every one of the 23 published counties. The two exceptions were Okeechobee County, which remained steady at 1,865 acres, and Sarasota County, which gained 44 acres of citrus (7%) with a 2024-25 total of 667 acres.

The biggest losses came from Hillsborough and DeSoto counties. Hillsborough County lost almost all of its citrus acreage in one year, going from 713 acres in the prior report to 31 acres in this year’s report, a 95.6% decline. DeSoto County saw the biggest losses in terms of raw acreage, shedding 18,910 acres (36.5%) compared to last year’s report, with a total of 32,890 acres.

Production Changes

According to the 2024-2025 Florida Citrus Production report, the state’s total production stood at 14.6 million boxes, down 28% from last year’s 20.3 million boxes. These losses were led by losses in orange production, at 12.2 million boxes, down 32% compared to last year’s 18.06 million boxes. The losses in oranges were shared proportionally across valencia and non-valencia varieties.

All grapefruit production was down 27% with 1.3 million boxes, compared to 1.79 million boxes last year. Losses in tangerines and tangelos were only 11% with 400,000 boxes compared to last year’s 450,000 boxes.

Lemon production was reported for the first time in this year’s report, with an estimated production of 670,000 boxes.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods Expands Sales Team

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:10:41 GMT

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, an Oviedo, Fla.-based grower and processor of fresh vegetables and citrus, welcomed Samantha Duda as its east regional manager on Aug. 7. She is a fifth-generation member of the Duda family who grew up in California’s Salinas Valley, immersed in the produce business.

Most recently, Duda served as produce senior strategy manager at HelloFresh, where she led a team of strategy managers and oversaw procurement, according to Duda Farms. Prior to that, she gained experience at Charlie’s Produce in Seattle working in both sales and purchasing roles.

“Samantha brings a strong combination of strategic insight, hands-on industry experience, and a deep understanding of the fresh produce supply chain,” says Alan Ediger, vice president of sales at Duda Farm Fresh Foods. “Her leadership in procurement and sales, along with her ability to build strong customer relationships, will be a tremendous asset as she leads our fresh cut sales efforts across the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canada.”

“I’m thrilled to begin this new chapter with Duda Farm Fresh Foods,” Duda says. “It’s an incredible opportunity to put my experience and passion for produce to work in a company that’s been part of my life since the beginning.”

USDA Offers Florida Growers $675.9M in Disaster Assistance

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:25:35 GMT

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins announced a block grant agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to help growers recover from Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton. Rollins made the announcement at CPI Planting in Felda, Fla.

USDA provides FDACS with $675.9 million in funding to administer a program that will cover infrastructure, citrus and timber losses in addition to direct market losses. USDA says this funding is part of the $30-billion disaster assistance relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025.

The agency said it is working with 14 different states, including Florida, to develop and implement block grants to address the unique disaster recovery needs for each state.

“America’s farmers and ranchers across the Southeast and in Florida have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during the last two hurricane seasons,” Rollins says. “USDA has worked closely with the State of Florida to ensure those impacted have the relief they need.”

USDA says it has also worked with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDACS to finalize a grant to cover qualifying losses not addressed by other USDA disaster programs.

“Florida’s producers have endured back-to-back devastating hurricane seasons, and this funding is a major victory that will help them rebuild, recover and continue feeding our state and nation,” says Wilton Simpson, Florida Agriculture Commissioner. “Food production is not just an economic issue, it’s a matter of national security — and we appreciate the president’s consistent support for our farmers.”