Florida Citrus Industry Celebrates Big Investment in Its Future

Florida citrus growers and other industry stakeholders have something to cheer about. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has just signed into law the General Appropriations Act, which includes a record-breaking investment of nearly $140 million to revitalize Florida’s citrus sector.

As part of the Florida Legislature’s 2025-2026 state fiscal year budget, the $140 million to bolster the state’s citrus industry breaks down as follows:

• $104.5 million for the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation to conduct large-scale field trials focused on grove management, treatments and therapies, disease-resistant varieties, grove design, pest and disease control and post-planting care to increase citrus production and for basic research through the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF).
• $10 million for the Citrus Packing Equipment Cost Share Program through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for packinghouses to purchase or rehab equipment.
• $10 million for Florida Department of Citrus marketing efforts to promote the state’s citrus products among consumers and influencers.
•  $6,523,565 for the Citrus Health Response Program, administered by FDACS, to help researchers develop new varieties, increase citrus production, and advance technologies to treat and prevent citrus greening.
• $2 million through FDACS for the Citrus Budwood Nursery to expand propagation of citrus greening tolerant or resistant budwood trees and seedlings.
• $4 million for Citrus Crop Decline Supplemental Funding for the Citrus Inspection Trust Fund to supplement grower assessments for citrus inspection.
• $2 million for the Citrus Recovery Program through the Florida Department of Citrus to advance technologies and produce trees that show tolerance or resistance to citrus greening.
• $650,000 for the development of new citrus varieties.

Matt Joyner, Executive VP and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, commented on what the investment means to the industry.

“This record-breaking investment of nearly $140 million for citrus research and revitalization efforts in Florida’s 2025-2026 state fiscal year budget brings renewed hope to the industry,” he says. “These funds will advance citrus research, support field trials of promising treatments and therapies, and facilitate planting new disease-tolerant varieties to accelerate the industry’s comeback.”