About a year ago, I harkened to the lyrics of a song by The Byrds (which happens to be based on a passage of scripture from Ecclesiastes 3). My column now might give you a little déjà vu, but a few lines from this passage are called to mind as I think about our recent decisions as your Florida Citrus Commission during our FCC Meeting on Wednesday, March 18. All of us understand that everything has its season, and there’s “a time to speak.”
You’ve spoken. We’ve heard you.
As a result of mounting overseas export constraints, The Florida Citrus Packers, in a letter dated March 3, 2026, asked for the FDOC to approach the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in a proactive manner to seek sensible adjustments to our participation in the Market Access Program (MAP). Keeping a minimal market presence in Japan, Korea and Europe is not a decision made lightly. The bottom line is that we’re seeing a need to move to a more domestic-heavy fresh marketing model to give growers every chance to meet margins. After discussion, the commission approved FDOC staff’s recommendation to immediately discuss The Florida Citrus Packers’ request with USDA and share a detailed recommendation on how to responsibly execute this shift at the May FCC meeting. As a legacy crop with a very strong historical and present relationship with USDA FAS, we believe that we can openly work with them to keep the doors open for future MAP activities in these markets. It’s important to note that we will aim to keep a minimum presence in these international markets, so that when supply is restored, we will still have the relationships needed to increase exports again. In regard to Canada, as The Florida Citrus Packers requested, our export programs will continue.
This also underscores our need to explore investing more of our legislative marketing appropriation in support of boosting utilization in the fresh market domestically. Some of the programs we had planned for this year were cancelled due to the timing of the freeze, freeing up just enough to add some short-term fresh marketing activations. We are hoping that activity hits the street to remind consumers we’re still here, and to show retail buyers that we are willing to put skin in the game to move fresh citrus.
These changes are significant, but necessary for the season we are in, while Florida Citrus continues to innovate and replant. The Florida Department of Citrus and your Florida Citrus Commission will continue to spearhead the strategic marketing that drives demand and sales for all Florida Citrus. Our mission’s focus is to serve Florida Citrus for its betterment, and we have our eye on the ball.
Steve Johnson is Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus. He is the owner and general manager of Johnson Harvesting, Inc., based in Wauchula, FL.