Highlands County Citrus Growers Association

By Raymond Royce|February 11, 2011

The Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) is a regionally focused association that works to benefit its membership by providing specialized local governmental interaction and information that the other citrus organizations can not. The association also strives to provide up-to-date citrus health and related production practices information to its membership. Timely and accurate dissemination of information, which helps foster strong community and industry involvement, is viewed as one of the key missions of HCCGA. The association continues to refine this process through its speaker’s bureau, newsletter, eMail notification, social media, and its website (www.hccga.com).

Helping Citrus Health

One of the HCCGA’s highest priorities during the past year has been providing its membership information about a wide range of citrus disease issues, especially citrus greening and black spot. As the potential for increased greening incidence continued to climb during 2010 across Highlands County, the need for growers to re-double their efforts in regard to information gathering, grove inspection, and disease and pest management protocols was reinforced.

A highlight of the past year was assisting in the creation of a number of citrus health management areas (CHMAs) within the county. It is anticipated that several other new CHMAs will be established in the coming months. The ultimate HCCGA goal is have every acre of citrus in the county participating within a CHMA. HCCGA will continue to play a key role in the dissemination of information (spray methodology, chemical class, and timing, for example) to the individual CHMA members and to the statewide CHMA network.

Good Teamwork

HCCGA also continues to work cooperatively with the Florida Department of Citrus, Florida Citrus Mutual, UF/IFAS Extension services, and the other grower and industry groups on a wide range of political, legal, production, and marketing practices. Being part of the “citrus team” is a source of pride, and the association stands ready to support Florida Citrus Mutual, the Florida Department of Citrus, and others on a wide range of issues at the state or federal level.

On the local level, HCCGA continues its work with Highlands County governmental officials on issues ranging from property tax assessment models and rates, non-advalorem fee and assessment equity, future land-use planning and development regulations, impact fee implementation questions, water quality and quantity concerns, economic development to the promotion of public education to the economical, environmental, aesthetic, and social value of our industry to our surrounding community.

On a regional basis, the association plays a central role in the policy setting mechanism of the Heartland Agricultural Coalition. The Coalition has brought Highlands County’s Farm Bureau and Cattlemen’s Association together with our organization to provide a unified voice on issues that are common to all members of our regional agricultural family. HCCGA also provides the staffing and operational resources for this group.

Community Counts

Special events and occasions, such as our sporting clays fun shoot, golf tournament, and annual meeting continue to facilitate interaction between our growers and their business community partners. Now, more than ever, we believe that it is critical that growers and the citrus industry’s allied partners work together for their mutual benefit.

The HCCGA also actively participates in a number of local educational venues including Highlands County’s Ag-Venture — a three-day program that introduces third-grade students in our county to agriculture. The program provides hands-on activities for more than 1,200 students, their teachers, and many of their parents. The association also provides free OJ and grapefruit juice samples at numerous local festivals, fundraising, educational, and political events.

While pest and disease pressures are quite a concern for the future, the local citrus industry and its associated businesses remain a vital economic component of Florida’s third leading citrus producing county. The HCCGA looks forward to helping its members face the challenges of the future. As a primarily locally focused association, HCCGA works diligently to keep the Highlands County growers, and their associate partners, updated on the issues of importance to them, at the local, regional, and state levels.