Florida’s struggling citrus industry may be on the verge of a significant boost, as a state Senate committee has proposed allocating $200 million in the upcoming fiscal budget to aid in its recovery.
Under the proposal, about $190 million would be directed toward field trials aimed at improving grove management, testing disease-resistant citrus varieties, and evaluating therapeutic tools to combat citrus greening. A significant portion—approximately $125 million—would specifically cover the cost of acquiring new citrus trees.
Senate President Ben Albritton detailed the proposal in a recent press release, emphasizing that the funds are intended to support both replanting efforts and the rehabilitation of existing groves.
Initially, 60 percent of the funding would be made available to mid-sized growers with citrus groves ranging from five to fewer than 2,500 acres. After the first phase, any unallocated funds would be open to all citrus producers.
Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, expressed optimism about the funding plan and its potential impact on growers.
“This funding could go a long way towards advancing those priorities and making sure that this industry is recovering and that we are using all the tools in the toolbox to conquer greening,” Joyner told Bay News 9.
Although the bill’s final approval is still pending, industry leaders are hopeful the measure will earn bipartisan support in the legislature.
Meanwhile, an investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) remains ongoing in a separate matter not directly related to the funding initiative.
