Scientists to Gather for a “Greening” Brainstorming Session

In these reports Dr Calvin Arnold, Director of USDA’s Horticulture Lab in Ft Pierce, FL, discusses this week’s gathering of scientists from all over the country to discuss greening and canker. Among those expected are teams from USDA’s SWAT Team and scientists from the National Academy of Sciences thanks to a recent investment by the Florida Department of Citrus. Report …

FDOC Retail Initiatives Engage Nation’s Largest Retailers

In this week’s Florida Department of Citrus features, it’s a focus on retail marketing and communications initiatives. In these reports, FDOC Director of Retail Communications Pete Palmer describes the history about how this effort got started, and how working directly with management teams of the nation’s largest retailers, providing them information from FDOC marketing research efforts, is helping these retail …

Southern Gardens’ Gast Describes Grove Scouting Program

In these four reports, comments from Tim Gast of Southern Gardens Citrus in Clewiston about their operation’s grove scouting and greening management program. Scouting, tree removal, and replicated research plots to look into a suspected guava-greening connection are all discussed. Gast offered the comments in a recent interview with Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff at the recent ‘Greening Summit” in Avon …

Grower Trials & Greening Challenges

In these features, comments from citrus grower Peter McClure of Evans Properties. McClure also presently heads up the Florida Citrus Production Advisory Council, a group of involved growers who advise the research community on the most pressing grower needs in terms of answers to production challenges. McClure discusses the seriousness of the greening challenge and how his group and others …

FL Citrus Mutual Reasons for Free Rider Fix Hold

In the first report below, Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows explains some of the reasons Citrus Mutual leaders voted to put a hold on attempting a legislative fix to the “Free Rider” issue. In the second report, a reminder of three more Florida Citrus Mutual area grower meeting dates coming up. Report (1:00 mp3) Report (1:00 mp3) Sponsored ContentFlorida …

Citrus Commish Chairman Discusses “Free Rider” Hold

In these reports, Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Ben Albritton Jr speaks candidly about the action by Florida Citrus Mutual this week asking the Citrus Department to put Free Rider fix efforts on hold for now, so legislative proposals could be fine tuned and begun earlier in the legislative process next year. Albritton emphasizes the discussion and exchange between Commissioners, the …

FL Fert & Ag Chem Assoc Last Call for Schol Golf Sponsors

The Scholarship Board of the Florida Fertilizer and Agri-Chemical Association (FFAA) is working hard to make this year’s golf tourney the best ever. It is scheduled for Thursday May 1, 2008 at Lake Wales Country Club. If you’re involved in Florida agriculture in any way, we hope you’ll get involved with a team or at least offer some level of …

USDA’S “Greening Summit” Releases Reports

Don’t get this “Greening Summit” information confused with another state level event of the same name that took place in Avon Park FL this week. The news release below pertains to follow up information coming out of the big nationwide citrus “Greening Summit” that was organized and hosted near Washington D C a few months back by USDA. WASHINGTON, April …

Mutual Leaders Hold “Free Rider” Fix Attempt for Fine Tuning

Florida Citrus Mutual leaders today discussed and took action on recent Citrus Commission efforts to move forward on a fix for the so-called “Free-Rider” issue. Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff has some details in this report, and we’ll have more on this from the newsmakers in the days ahead. Report (1:00 mp3) Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New …

April Citrus Update Adjusts Final Earlies/Mids Number +1.5M

In this report Bob Terry with Florida’s Ag Statistics Service shares some facts and figures about the April 2008 citrus crop update. Also, here is the USDA official document (pdf file) pertaining to this month’s citrus crop forecast update, and Florida Citrus Mutual’s news release (pdf file) about this month’s citrus crop update too. Report (1:00 mp3) Sponsoring this news …