Florida Citrus Growers Look Beyond Oranges

Much of the state’s signature produce—oranges, grapefruits and tangerines—have been hit by an incurable disease called citrus greening that has ravaged groves, sapping productivity and forcing some citrus growers to leave the industry and abandon fields. Florida land devoted to citrus declined 17% to 446,000 acres in the past eight years, according to the Florida Citrus Mutual, a citrus marketing cooperative. Citrus farmers who remain determined to stick it out are looking for alternatives to compensate for the declining demand and investing in “moonshots” to cure the bacterial disease that can cause fruit to fall off prematurely and taste bitter. Growers, the state and the federal government have put at least $225 million into research to combat greening, also known as Huanglongbing, over the past decade, said Michael Sparks, chief executive of the Florida Citrus Mutual. Scientists are developing new citrus varieties that could be more resistant to the disease. Farmers have developed new methods to protect trees, such as using plastic canopies for warmth. Some have banded together to create “citrus health management areas” to coordinate spraying and other efforts to combat the insect that transmits greening.