Talahasie -Citrus cultivates have called on Tuesday to continue to provide research and advertising to support industries that have decreased by more than 90 % within 30 years.
Otherwise, they warned that almost 1,500 citrus cultivates in the state could withdraw from the industry.
Appearing in front of the Senate Agricultural Committee on Tuesday, it is a common CEO of Florida citrus, and Vice President Matt Joiner needs to continue to provide money for research in long -term battles with fatal citrus greening. I emphasized sex.
Meanwhile, Citrus Director Shannon Chep focused on marketing.
“We are an industry that needs your help at a lot of levels,” said Shep. “If you haven’t heard Henry Ford’s words,” stopping ads to save money is like stopping the clock to save time. “
“There is a Renaissance in this industry,” said Shep. “It is necessary to maintain the market for these cultivators.”
Since research is being conducted in places such as Florida University, Joiner stabilizes the industry by withstanding the greening of citrus spots that spread by Asian citrus piculid, a small insect that feeds the tree. I said it was that.
“Losing a citrus industry is not an option,” said Joiner.
In addition to the economic impact of $ 6.9 billion per year, Joiner has other advantages such as 250,000 acres of citrus trees scattered throughout the state, such as a bandwater layer charging and the habitat of wildlife. I insisted.
According to Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida produced 244 million boxes and 50 million boxes of grapefruit when the industry peaked in 1998. As a comparison, the US Ministry of Agriculture predicted that Florida would produce 12 million boxes orange and 1.2 million boxes last month.
In addition to the greening of citrus, the industry is facing constant pressure from housing and commercial development, and has been hit by hurricane and winter frozen.
Last month, Alico Inc., based in major cultivator Fort Myers, announced that it would escape from citrus businesses when current crops were harvested.
John Kiernan, President of AliCo, said in the prepared statement, investors must be reluctant to adapt to changes in environmental and economic reality after increasing citrus more than one century. I talked.
Alico’s decision is estimated to remove about 12 % of the acres used for citrus in Florida.
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This year’s state budget, which will be held until June 30, includes more than $ 47 million in the citrus industry. This includes $ 29 million in research, treatment, and prevention of citrus greening. In addition, $ 9 million was assigned to citrus marketing.
Governor Ron Desantis announced a budget proposal for the fiscal year 2025 to 2026 late on Sunday. This includes $ 20 million, known as the Citrus Research and Citrus Health Response program. The Diet will consider Desantis proposals when they start to connect their budgets during the legislature meeting on March 4.
Senator Keith Trunau, Chairman of the Senate, is a Tabares Republican member who established a Lake Gem Farm in the center of Florida, and it is possible to find out how cultivation of citrus is evaluated for its asset value. Suggested.
“Some of them think that they feel that they have to pay three, four or five times as much as they, just to retain their property, to maintain their property. I think they need to be tightened for the past 20 years, so to keep them very long.
Colin Burton, a Lakland Republican member, said that it would include important parts of the citrus industry in the district, stating that the state needed to support producers as much as possible through difficult times.
“My concern is that the reduction of the cultivator, the decrease in the number of participation in our cultivation, and all the jobs that both your organization do are not healthy,” said Burton and Joiner. I talked.
“I’m very worried about the loss of citrus and market loss,” Burton continued. “The fact is that the problem is that they want to drink orange juice from Florida, the Americans, and they want Florida Range juice, but they know when you go to a grocery store. How many of them are educated? “
