Groundwork Set For Fruitful Future In Florida Citrus

This Q&A is the fifth installment of six featuring the 2014 Florida Grower Citrus Achievement Award winner Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Lakeland-based Florida Citrus Mutual.

Photo by Frank Giles

Photo by Frank Giles

Q: There is a sense of momentum now that more funds are being directed at HLB research. How can growers keep that momentum going as we await HLB breakthroughs?

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A: We’ve had a lot of good news on the research front particularly with heat treatment and antimicrobials. The idea is to help save the trees we have in the ground so they can still be productive even if they are infected with HLB. The beauty of heat treatment is that it requires no regulatory approval. It’s not a new therapy in agriculture, but using it against HLB is new. Many growers are out there right now engineering systems that can heat treat trees. The results have been terrific in field trials, so I am very optimistic this will be successful. The industry, through the CRDF, also is pushing hard to get streptomycin and oxytetracycline registered for use in citrus. Those two well-known plant antibiotics have shown good results in knocking back the HLB inoculum and although they are registered for other tree fruits, they are not for citrus. So, we are trying to fast track it and get it in the field.

Q: What is the status of replanting as we speak?

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A: I am very optimistic as far as replanting goes. We have two 2,500 acre new planting projects going in right now as a result of the Minute Maid incentive program, and I know of several growers who are bullish on the market and are putting in trees as we speak. These growers are confident even in today’s challenging environment by utilizing the tools we currently have such as high-density planting and coordinated psyllid sprays they can produce yields that can provide them with a healthy return on investment. Plus, USDA recently announced a tree incentive program (TAP) that should help mitigate some of the risk that goes with re-planting. Growers can be eligible for up to $125,000 per year cost share under the TAP that can pay for land clearing, re-sets, and labor. There has been a ton of interest in the TAP and it should really benefit our small- and medium-sized growers. In addition, our friends at Citrus World are rolling out a $10 million program designed to incentivize growers to re-plant juice oranges. Citrus World said it’s in strong financial shape and can think of no better place to invest than the Florida citrus grower. That’s good stuff!

Q: Are the nurseries being able to keep up with demand?

A: It is a moving target, but the Florida citrus industry certainly has the best nursery growers in the world, and I believe that supply can meet demand. We also have a world class citrus nursery infrastructure thanks to the Florida legislature and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. We’ve had several nursery expansions lately, so the marketplace is evolving.

Special thanks to Chemtura AgroSolutions for sponsoring the Citrus Achievement Award.

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