The FDOC’s recent efforts reflect the Florida Citrus industry by matching its pace in the race against time and citrus greening.
Time is a funny thing that impacts people differently. Take this time last year as an example. Depending on who you talk to, you might get a completely opposite reaction. Some might say, “Wow, can’t believe it’s only been a year since Hurricane Milton, so much has happened.” Others might marvel at how quickly time has passed, saying something like, “I can’t believe it’s been a year already.” No matter what camp you sit in, however, there’s one thing you can’t deny: how we’ve worked together to make good use of our time these last few months has given the Florida citrus industry some good momentum going into this season.
As a good reflection of the industry, the FDOC has matched that pace. We’ve been busy these last few months, not just in launching the new partnership I talked about in my last column between Florida Orange Juice and the Tampa Bay Lightning, but in all facets and areas of vital importance to the industry.
Here’s a few examples of how the FDOC has been helping keep momentum going for Florida Citrus:
- During the International Citrus & Beverage Conference (ICBC), which was held from September 23-26, Dr. Marisa Zansler gave a citrus outlook and marketing update to key stakeholders in the beverage market. The overarching message is of the stark realities we face globally against citrus greening juxtaposed by the fact that the Florida citrus industry remains a cornerstone of the domestic beverage market. She also underscored the importance of sustaining consumer demand during this time of supply challenges. In other words, the most important takeaway here is that the Florida citrus grower outlook — despite all of these challenges — shows promise.
- At the recent Juice Summit in Bruges, Belgium, Dr. Rosa Walsh echoed this message to industry experts and colleagues during her presentation, “Demand meets Scarcity: On the Road to a Florida OJ Recovery.” Dr. Walsh expounded on how replanting efforts through key programs like the Program for Expedited Propagation (PEP) and how making more HLB-tolerant varieties available to citrus growers for commercial-scale field trials is critical for keeping momentum going towards recovery.
- Speaking of PEP, our Scientific Research Department has been in close communication with CRAFT and is fine-tuning a plan for the 2025-26 Program for Expedited Propagation. Dr. Rosa Walsh will be providing an update on that during our next FCC Meeting.
- Most recently, our marketing team was at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) to connect with experts who can undoubtedly help us educate consumers about the health benefits of 100% orange juice. By showcasing the science-based research supporting these benefits, we can arm registered dietitian nutritionists and other health experts with the knowledge of how to inform consumers about the value of Florida Orange Juice and Florida Citrus when consumed as part of a healthy diet.
- In addition to these examples and many other strategic research and marketing efforts, the Florida Citrus Commission is working collaboratively with industry stakeholders to submit comment for the FDA proposed ruling to lower the standard of identity (SOI) for pasteurized orange juice from 10.5 to 10 Brix degrees. As you well know, this is something that we’ve been advocating to happen for many years now, and we will submit comments to that effect, detailing how it will benefit both the industry and consumers.
If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for our next FCC Meeting, which will be held Wednesday, October 22, 9:00 a.m. at our Bartow headquarters.
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.