Early Reports: Citrus Fared Well in Idalia

Jim Rogers Citrus, Weather

The cold-hardy citrus region endured another test of Mother Nature on Wednesday with Hurricane Idalia moving through the Southeast. One industry expert is optimistic that the area’s trees survived this latest challenge.  “I am happy to report that citrus in Georgia appears to have fared very well,” said grower Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association and member of the Georgia Citrus Commission. …

Members Appointed to Georgia Citrus Commission

Jim Rogers Citrus, Georgia

By Clint Thompson Georgia’s newly established Agricultural Commodity Commission for Citrus Fruits, known as the Georgia Citrus Commission, has its five members that are tasked with steering the course of the state’s citrus industry. The Commodity Commission Ex Officio Committee appointed the following members to the Georgia Citrus Commission: Each commission member has a minimum of 5 acres of citrus …

Minimal Crop Expected in Cold-Hardy Citrus Region

Jim Rogers Citrus, Florida

By Clint Thompson Citrus harvests are just a few months away for growers in the cold-hardy citrus region of eastern Alabama, southern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. Unfortunately, those harvests will be reduced to about 25% of the normal crop, according to industry leaders. The Christmas freeze event devastated this year’s crop in the region. Kim Jones, who grows and …

Sen. Ossoff Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Georgia’s Citrus Industry

Jim Rogers Citrus, Georgia

Washington D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is leading the charge to support Georgia’s farmers and strengthen the state’s growing citrus industry. Sen. Ossoff introduced the Georgia Citrus Development Act of 2023 to ensure Georgia citrus growers have a seat at the table when guiding key decisions for the industry. Sen. Ossoff’s bill would add a new Georgia member to …

Georgia Citrus Growers Get Valuable Resources

Jim Rogers Citrus, Georgia

Since Georgia’s citrus industry is still in its infancy, leaders are determined to educate growers about the resources that are available to them. With help from Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently hosted an event to share many of those resources with growers. The meet-and-greet workshop took place July 12 at …

Cold-Hardy Citrus Production and Challenges

Jim Rogers Citrus

By Maegan Beatty Cold-hardy citrus is grown across a few thousand acres in more than 16 counties in North Florida and South Georgia. The satsuma mandarin is a cold-hardy species that has been grown throughout North Florida since the 1800s. The fruit is typically medium sized, a reddish orange color and can produce the highest quality in cooler winters and …

Freeze Had Greatest Impact on Young Trees

Jim Rogers Citrus, Weather

Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, and other industry leaders continue to preach to growers the need to diversify their crop portfolios. The Christmas freeze event that ravaged production in the Southeast last December should not be a deterrent for farmers hoping to produce citrus other than satsuma mandarins. Yes, non-satsuma citrus trees were impacted more by the multiple …

Pheromones Essential in Leafminer Management

Jim Rogers Citrus, Pests

By Clint Thompson Citrus growers should emphasize leafminer management this year to preserve new flushes. This is especially important for those producers affected by the Christmas freeze event. The management strategy should include pheromone disruptions, which can help reduce pest populations. Xavier Martini, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research …