Longtime readers know that we do our best to deliver the news regardless of whether it’s good or bad. We bring you the “tales from the front line,” if you will, yet we still point out that nugget of positivity that might otherwise be missed.
That said, I won’t lie. Each year when it comes time to produce this Citrus Report edition, there is some trepidation. Some years it’s harder than others to keep a bright outlook.
But this year is not one of them! When it comes to juice oranges, measurable gains were made not just in fruit production but in quality, as well. (Make sure to read Phillip Rucks’ column for more on that.) In addition, growers report they are starting to see real results from the various greening treatments.
To boot, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed the 2026-2027 state budget, which delivers roughly $196 million for the industry.
That money includes:
- $160 million for citrus research through the CRAFT program. This will help citrus growers fund commercial-scale testing of the latest techniques and treatments. The upside, besides the funds, is the trove of insight and data this will make possible.
- $20 million for Citrus Nursery and Packing Equipment Grants. These funds will allow for the purchase or rehabilitation of equipment for citrus nurseries and packinghouses. This addresses a longtime concern that if and when the industry recovers, the infrastructure would no longer exist.
- $5 million in nonrecurring funds ($15 million total annual investment)for the Florida Department of Citrus’ marketing efforts.
- $4.5 million for basic citrus research through the Citrus Research and Development Foundation
- $2.25 million for the Crop Transformation Center to fast-track solutions to the most formidable pests and diseases facing the industry.
- $2 million for the Citrus Recovery Program to push technologies and varieties that are better suited to thrive despite citrus greening.
- $2 million for the FDACS Citrus Budwood Program to grow greening-tolerant or -resistant budwood trees and seedlings.
Critics like to ask, “But where is the money going? And who gets the funds?”
The answer is evident in the volumes of research and innovation that are currently providing a lifeline to the industry as it fights for its life.