Category Archive

LAKELAND, Fla. (May 15, 2008) – Florida Citrus Mutual Executive VP/CEO Michael W. Sparks Thursday urged President Bush to sign the Farm Bill into law after both the U.S. House and Senate passed the measure by veto-proof majorities. “President Bush should sign this bill which for the first time ever recognizes the importance of fruit and vegetables,” Sparks said. “This …

In these reports, straight talk from central Florida Congressman Adam Putnam about passage of the House/Senate Farm Bill compromise by huge bi-partisan margins on both sides of the Congressional aisle. With President Bush threatening a veto, Putnam poses a question and points out there are easily enough votes to override the veto in both House and Senate. Report (2:00 mp3) …

Members of the U. S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Compromise Committee version of the Farm Bill late Wednesday afternoon. The Senate is expected to do the same shortly. It’s expected the President will follow through on his veto threat, even though he must know the margin of votes needed to override his veto exists. It is also expected …

Dear Citrus Mutual Members and Friends: It’s time to mobilize! The U.S. House of Representatives will vote today on the Farm Bill. For the first time this bill provides a significant investment in fruit and vegetables. The bill authorizes almost $1.5 billion in mandatory spending for programs that benefit fruit and vegetable growers. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida …

In this report, comments from citrus grower Peter McClure with Evans Properties, who also heads up the grower Box Tax Council that advises the citrus research community. In a recent interview with Southeast AgNet/Citrus Industry Magazine’s Ernie Neff, McClure talks about his ‘takeaway’ from the recent scientific gathering in Ft Pierce that focused on greening and canker research discussions. Report …

Here is our interview this month with Bob Terry, Florida Ag Statistics Service. Report (3:46 mp3) Sponsoring this news report: USDA NASS Sponsored ContentCIR 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, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received …

In these two reports, interesting comments about a modern in-store marketing technique that takes advantage of key in-store locations and modern shopping habits. Retail Communications Director Pete Palmer at the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) says the spring campaign used 15-second in-store videos to reach shoppers at a critical time when making their final purchase decisions. Report (2:00 mp3) Report …

Grower observation – By Lee Jones, general manager of GFC We’ve been battling the psyllid for two-and-a-half years now and HLB for who knows how long. The 6,000 acres that I manage include groves in all three growing regions (Martin, Hendry, Hardee and Manatee Counties). This disease has multiplied rapidly in parts of our groves. I’ve noticed some interesting things …