Florida Citrus Production Managers Find Strength in Numbers

The Florida Citrus Production Managers Association (FCPMA) has played an important role in the citrus industry for many years. The group has a long history of being an influential voice when it comes to citrus production and other matters.

While participation in the association has fallen off a bit due to the ravages of HLB and industry consolidation, it still serves an important function, according to Rob Atchley, who is currently serving as the association’s President. He also is Manager of Operations for Duda Citrus.

“As the industry has gotten smaller and acreage has declined, attendance has contracted; but it remains an incredibly important entity in the industry,” Atchley says. “We fill a lot of seats on the boards throughout the industry. It also is important to have an entity like FCPMA in place when important issues arise to write letters of support or opposition and weigh in on the subject at hand.”

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Rob Atchley of Duda Citrus

Rob Atchley
Photo by Frank Giles

Atchley says FCPMA has made it easier for growers and production managers to join the association to encourage participation. In the past, new members had to be nominated to join and voted in by the group. They no longer have that requirement. However, Atchley adds they only ask growers and managers actively involved in production to join the group.

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Exchange of Ideas
Blue Goose Grower’s Tim Dooley has been a member of the association for nearly a decade and believes the group has become even more valuable as the industry awaits a long-term solution to HLB.

“Sharing information is essential for sustainability — even more so in the HLB era,” Dooley says. “It’s unlikely a single management tool will be developed to control HLB, but a collection of management tools are available, and a different set is likely needed for any given growing situation. The FCPMA is a great forum for sharing thoughts and ideas on how to use the management tools in the grower toolbox.”

Dooley says the knowledge gained from the group has been helpful, and with HLB endemic in all groves, he has picked up particularly useful information on citrus nutrition programs.

“Over the years, there has been a lot of ideas exchanged, but the production idea that seems to be most recurring, refined, and tweaked is probably nutrition,” he says. “Nutritional inputs today, as compared to pre-HLB days, are more frequent, include liquid applications through the micro-jet, dry bulk applications with the spreader, foliar applications with the sprayer, and are applied in different forms with differing chelating agents as compared to years past.”

Holly Chamberlain, a Production Manager with International Farming Corporation/Premier Citrus, joined the association in 2009 and says the group is a valuable asset to the industry.

“The discussions are very relevant to the preservation of the citrus industry in Florida and the future of citrus production in the state,” she says. “FCPMA is a springboard for production managers to be involved and nominated to serve with other organizations such as the Citrus Research and Develop Foundation and Florida Citrus Mutual.”

Join the Discussion
The group will be holding its next meeting in June in conjunction with Florida Citrus Mutual’s annual conference. The conference is scheduled for June 13-15 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs.

Atchley says meetings include an educational element related to citrus production followed by a business meeting and are a great place to network with peers.

“Traditionally, FCPMA has been a very important and influential group for the industry. It needs to continue. It still has a place,” Atchley says. “We are only as good as the people who make up the organization. If you are involved in citrus production, I would really encourage you to attend this summer’s meeting and join the group.”

For more information on the meeting and membership, contact Atchley at [email protected].

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