Enclosures to become mandatory for Florida citrus tree nurseries
Enclosures to become mandatory for Florida citrus tree nurseries
The latest issue in the seemingly unending list of bad news for Florida's once $9 billion-dollar-a-year citrus industry is that about 90 percent of the state's nurseries that grow and nurture young citrus trees may have to close their businesses.
Owners of some nurseries say they cannot afford the costs of enclosing and modernizing their greenhouse facilities to meet standards set by officials to ultimately reduce the threat of canker and citrus greening reaching the young plants. Young citrus trees, of course, develop into mature, fruit-producing trees, and so are integral to ensuring the ongoing survival of the industry.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, citrus trees in nurseries must be grown in bug-proof screen structures. Nurseries will be permitted to market existing stock -- trees grown in non-enclosed structures or fields -- through the end of the year. As of Jan. 1, 2008, all citrus trees, whether intended for the commercial or retail industries, must be from greenhouse stock. Existing nurseries can build, rebuild or renovate existing structures to meet the standards, but newly established citrus nurseries are required to be located at least one mile from any grove.
Liz Compton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, told The Produce News that citrus nursery associations in the state have been involved since the beginning of citrus canker discussions regarding ridding the state of the disease several years ago.
"It stands to reason that nurseries will have to be enclosed in order for plantings to resist being infected with canker disease or greening," she said. "This is not new news, but it is something that professionals and officials have been aware of for a long time."
While it is certainly a serious problem for nursery owners who say they cannot afford the high cost of rebuilding or building to meet the standards, officials have said that the alternative is a likely total demise of the industry in the future.
On the heels of the nursery tree reports comes news about a current study indicating that fruit shipped from Florida may carry canker spores with it. If true, this could mean that Florida's citrus has carried the disease to other U.S. states and foreign countries over the years.
"We believe these studies are in the very early stages and not nearly complete," said Ms. Compton. "There is certainly no reason for conjecture at this point. When peer reviews are completed, we will have accurate information. Our agency's experts believe that ongoing scientific studies will show that citrus fruit does not spread canker."
Though Florida's citrus crop projection for 2006-07 may be smaller than it has been in several decades, the industry still accounts for a substantial percentage of the world's citrus production.
Owners of some nurseries say they cannot afford the costs of enclosing and modernizing their greenhouse facilities to meet standards set by officials to ultimately reduce the threat of canker and citrus greening reaching the young plants. Young citrus trees, of course, develop into mature, fruit-producing trees, and so are integral to ensuring the ongoing survival of the industry.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, citrus trees in nurseries must be grown in bug-proof screen structures. Nurseries will be permitted to market existing stock -- trees grown in non-enclosed structures or fields -- through the end of the year. As of Jan. 1, 2008, all citrus trees, whether intended for the commercial or retail industries, must be from greenhouse stock. Existing nurseries can build, rebuild or renovate existing structures to meet the standards, but newly established citrus nurseries are required to be located at least one mile from any grove.
Liz Compton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, told The Produce News that citrus nursery associations in the state have been involved since the beginning of citrus canker discussions regarding ridding the state of the disease several years ago.
"It stands to reason that nurseries will have to be enclosed in order for plantings to resist being infected with canker disease or greening," she said. "This is not new news, but it is something that professionals and officials have been aware of for a long time."
While it is certainly a serious problem for nursery owners who say they cannot afford the high cost of rebuilding or building to meet the standards, officials have said that the alternative is a likely total demise of the industry in the future.
On the heels of the nursery tree reports comes news about a current study indicating that fruit shipped from Florida may carry canker spores with it. If true, this could mean that Florida's citrus has carried the disease to other U.S. states and foreign countries over the years.
"We believe these studies are in the very early stages and not nearly complete," said Ms. Compton. "There is certainly no reason for conjecture at this point. When peer reviews are completed, we will have accurate information. Our agency's experts believe that ongoing scientific studies will show that citrus fruit does not spread canker."
Though Florida's citrus crop projection for 2006-07 may be smaller than it has been in several decades, the industry still accounts for a substantial percentage of the world's citrus production.
