Winner’s View: Jerry Newlin On Citrus Research

Winner's View

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In the last couple of issues, Florida Grower’s Citrus Achievement Award winner Jerry Newlin has addressed important issues of the day. This month, Orange-Co’s vice president of citrus operations discusses the Citrus Research & Development Foundation (CRDF).

Recently, the CRDF updated its website (www.citrusrdf.org). What types of information can growers find on the site and can they provide feedback through the site?
Newlin: “To better communicate with the industry regarding research and product development, the CRDF created a website. It actually is a transfer or mirror website that was established for the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council (FCPRAC) by Steve Rodgers. To manage research, the Florida citrus industry’s plan was for FCPRAC to evolve into the CRDF, therefore, the website was one of the natural transformations. Unfortunately, the Governor’s veto threw a wrench into much of the transforming process, but the CRDF is fully functional and still was able to create the website.

“The site is a very valuable and powerful tool for the CRDF because it creates a live time format for the researchers to enter their proposed projects online, paperless, 24/7. Once the projects pass through peer review, grower review, and get CRDF approval, their quarterly progress reports are recorded online for everyone’s perusal. Basically, what this means is every research project is there (in detail) for the entire citrus industry’s review — live, all the time.

“Also, everything the CRDF is involved with will be on the website along with other related links. I must admit, I get sensitive when growers complain about not ever hearing about what’s going on with their research dollars because if you can click onto a computer, it’s all right there. If you don’t use a computer, just call your local citrus Extension agent and they’ll load you up with information.”

There is an effort to pass legislation that would divert part of the federal import tariff on citrus to finance the CRDF trust fund. Why is this legislation important?
Newlin
: “Due to HLB, canker, and other potential diseases close to our border, the U.S. citrus industry is in severe jeopardy. The citrus tariff on imported citrus juice brings a substantial amount of dollars into the federal coffers. The USDA, the states, the land grant universities, and the citrus growers across this country are putting forth a great financial effort funding research to find solutions for these devastating problems. However, we need more, and with tight budgets in all directions, redirecting the tariff money could help with these much needed financial requirements.”

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

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