The Florida Legislature has approved nearly $140 million in funding for the state's citrus industry, as included in the 2025-26 fiscal budget. This allocation targets various aspects vital to the sector, such as addressing plant diseases, marketing, packing house infrastructure, and inspection processes.

Allocated from the $139.67 million package, $104.5 million is designated for the Citrus Research Field Trial in collaboration with the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). The initiative supports large-scale field trials focusing on "grove management and treatments and therapies, disease-resistant varieties, grove design, pest and disease control, and post-planting care to increase citrus production and for research through the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)," as per a release from Florida Citrus Mutual.

Additional legislative allocations include $10 million for the Florida Department of Citrus, which will be used to increase marketing efforts for the citrus harvest. Another $10 million is set for the Citrus Packing Equipment Cost Share Program, managed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), to support purchases of rehabilitation equipment in packing houses.

The Citrus Health Response Program will receive $6.52 million under FDACS oversight to develop new fruit varieties, augment citrus production, and advance technology to counter citrus greening. Remaining funds are intended for initiatives such as citrus inspections and recovery programs.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com