As we kick off a New Year that is of note for our industry, I’m reminded of the lyrics from the classic song by The Byrds (which also happens to be based on Ecclesiastes 3 . . . talk about nothing new under the sun). I’ll summarize it, but it opens with, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” If there is one thing I want all of us to remember as we dive headfirst into 2025— a year that marks 20 years since citrus greening was discovered in south Florida— it’s that everything has its season.
For almost two decades, we’ve been in a season of fighting HLB, and that fight (while the war is far from over) is changing. I talked about that quite a bit in my last column. The tools and new varieties we have available to us for managing our groves while resetting and planting new trees is forcing the fight to change hands, and if pursued head-on will lead to our advantage in this war.
At our most recent FCC Meeting (and the last one of 2024) on December 18, we set the stage for all of us to embrace the change that’s coming. For example, the FCC unanimously approved 22 nurseries to receive funding that will expedite the propagation of the recently approved varieties (with their notable “good” or “very good” tolerance to HLB) as part of the 2024 Program for Expedited Propagation Agreements.
During this meeting, we also shared the appointments for the newly established Joint Subcommittee on Regulation Review to Advance Citrus Recovery. There is no better time than now to review the laws and rules governing the FCC to ensure that what’s on the books best serves the citrus industry and, by extension, the state of Florida. The members of this subcommittee’s sole mission will be to accomplish just that, and its members have been carefully vetted and appointed by the FCC and Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM)— six appointments each. This new year marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Florida Citrus Commission by the State Legislature, and the formation of this subcommittee further demonstrates our unwavering commitment to maintain Florida as the foremost recognized producer of the world’s finest citrus and orange juice.
Last, but certainly not least of note, the efforts of our Global Marketing department have given us a very strong start to 2025. We closed out last year with securing almost 30 percent towards the goal of $25 million in orange juice sales with the e-commerce program. The department reports it is on track to reach or exceed this goal.
As we continue to strive towards recovery post hurricanes Helene and Milton, and as we soldier on in the fight against greening, I wish you a prosperous and fruitful year ahead.
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.
