Winner’s View: Peter McClure on Getting Involved in the Citrus Industry

In his final winner’s view comment, Citrus Achievement Award Winner Peter McClure tells Florida’s citrus growers that now is the time to get involved on behalf of the industry.

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Peter McClure: “HLB and canker still threaten to end our industry, and citrus growers have to sustain the current research and commercialization efforts in order to survive long term. We have done a lot of very good work and positive results are just beginning to emerge. Voting to approve the State Citrus Research Order Referendum is critical in the battle against greening and canker.

“As bad as these diseases are, the current onslaught on property rights at the local, state, and federal levels is a far worse problem for farmers. Across Florida, local governments are stripping you of the bundle of property rights that you have historically owned. You will be left with the obligation to pay property taxes, but not the right to engage in any economic endeavor on that property that would enable you to earn enough money to even pay those taxes.

“In a related matter, bureaucrats and courts are trying to mandate water-quality regulations in Florida that specify numeric quantities of nutrients in runoff water that are less than what can be found in rain. Think about that. God can’t comply with the regulations, but you will have to. That makes no sense.
“To face these issues, growers should first get informed. That means attending trade shows, like the upcoming Florida Citrus Show in Ft. Pierce on Jan. 27-28. It also means reading industry trade magazines and websites to keep abreast of what is happening, and reading the research updates from IFAS and USDA

“Second, get organized. There is a plethora of citrus industry trade associations, both regional and statewide, that do a tremendous job of keeping its members informed and also in fighting these many battles. They all need paid members that volunteer to help get the work done.”

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