Florida’s struggling citrus industry could be on a major boost as state Senate committees propose to allocate $200 million to future fiscal budgets to help recover.
Under the proposal, approximately $190 million will be directed to on-site trials aimed at improving glove management, testing disease-resistant citrus fruits, and evaluating treatment tools to combat citrus greening. A significant portion ($125 million summary) will specifically cover the costs of obtaining new citrus trees.
Senate Speaker Ben Albritton detailed the proposal in a recent press release, highlighting that the funds aim to support both repotting efforts and rehabilitation of existing gloves.
Initially, growers with 60% of their funds will be able to access citrus growers that range from less than 5 acres to less than 2,500 acres. After the first phase, unallocated funds will be opened to all citrus producers.
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Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, expressed optimism about the funding plan and its potential impact on growers.
“This funding could go a long way in helping us move forward these priorities, confirming that the industry is recovering and using all the tools in our toolbox to conquer greening,” Joyner told Bay News 9.
The final approval of the bill is still pending, but industry leaders hope that the measure will gain bipartisan support in Congress.
Meanwhile, investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee (FWC) continue on another issue that is not directly related to the funding initiative.
