Dollars Dedicated to Florida Citrus

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

Money for citrus in the Sunshine State! From Florida Citrus Mutual, the Florida Legislature’s fiscal year budget includes $47 million to champion the Sunshine State’s citrus industry. It’s a lot when you break it all down, so I’m going to sound like a bit of an auctioneer, but here goes…

• $18 million for the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Program and Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) to research citrus treatments and therapies

• $9 million for Florida Department of Citrus marketing

• $8.3 million for the Citrus Health Response Program to help researchers develop new varieties, increase citrus production, and advance technologies to treat and prevent citrus greening.

• $4 million for the Citrus Inspection Trust Fund

• $2.7 million for Pest Management

• $2 million for the Citrus Recovery Program to advance technologies that produce tolerance or resistance to citrus greening and produce trees that show tolerance or resistance to citrus greening.

• $2 million for the Citrus Budwood Facility

• $1 million for the Citrus Nursery Automation Cost Share

Lots of dollars but, to me, proof that there is dedication and hope for the citrus industry.