Indian River Citrus This Season: “a vintage crop”

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, General

In this report Indian River Citrus League’s Doug Bournique talks about what he calls the “vintage crop” of Indian River fruit this year according to growers, packers, and ag statistics people too. In the second part of this feature, Bournique also shares some of his thoughts about the mood in his area right now considering all the crop disease pressures …

U S Sugar Pres/CEO Publishes Open Letter re SFWMD Buyout

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, General, Sugar

President/CEO of U. S. Sugar Corporation, Robert H. Buker, Jr. goes on record today with this letter: Dear Employees and Stockholders: As you know, on December 8, 2008, your Company approved and entered into an agreement with the South Florida Water Management District (the “District”) to sell to the District for $1.34 billion substantially all of your Company’s real estate …

FL Farm Bureau Opposes U.S. Sugar Buyout by SFWMD

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, Sugar

Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick today issued the following statement: At its meeting on Dec. 10, the board of directors of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF), the state’s largest general interest agricultural organization, declared its opposition to the acquisition of U.S. Sugar Corp. lands by the South Florida Water Management District. The Federation firmly supports the rights …

Citrus Health Response Plan (CHRP) December Update

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida

Click Here for the December 2008 update information from the Citrus Health Response Plan Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to Support Forage Development and Management PracticesMarch 6, 2026CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle IndustryFebruary 20, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the Cattle IndustryFebruary 6, 2026

California Citrus Industry Leaders Take Florida HLB Tour

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, General, Specialty Crops

During the recent International Research Conference on Huanglongbing in Orlando, some of the participants took a field trip to witness first hand the disease known to many Florida growers as “citrus greening”. Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows was among those helping to organize tour stops and discussions, and talks to our listeners about what went on. HLB Conference Coverage …

Texas Citrus Mutual Group Tours Florida Groves/Discusses HLB

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, International

HLB Conference Coverage Sponsored by: Ray Prewett of Texas Citrus Mutual (photo left) was in Florida for several days recently for the weeklong International Research Conference on Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease. While in Florida, Prewett joined a few others for a visit to the famous Indian River citrus region on Florida’s east coast, to meet and talk to growers …

Southern Gardens VP Discusses Disease Resistant Citrus Tree Trials

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, International, Specialty Crops

HLB Conference Coverage Sponsored by: In these first two reports, Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff (below left) catches up with Southern Gardens VP Jim Snively (photo right) to discuss the company’s news release about field trials beginning for citrus trees they hope will prove resistant to both citrus canker and HLB (citrus greening disease). Snively and other Southern Gardens personnel were …

Citrus HLB Research Conference Provides Lots of Updates

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, Specialty Crops

Click and listen to these latest voicer reports from Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff, covering the remaining days of this week’s International Research Conference on Huanglongbing in Orlando. In this first report, Neff reports on two different countries represented at the conference, one where greening has not been found, the other where it was discovered a month ago. In this next …

USDA Wants Specialty Crops Input

Gary Cooper Citrus, General, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is requesting comments on proposed regulation changes to the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program (TASC). The changes would provide increases for funding caps, project activity duration, and for the allowable number of projects underway at a time. The proposed changes were published in the Federal Register on December 3rd. The Technical Assistance for …