Half of all Florida citrus crops are infected with the incurable disease called greening. Today, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam thanked the Florida Legislature for making an unprecedented investment in research to try and stop it.
Greening is causing Florida citrus growers to lose 20-to-40 percent of their crop. The state’s investment of $9.5 million for research would be on top of the $60 million the industry itself has spent, plus money from the federal government. Putnam says, greening threatens Florida citrus’s very existence.
“This matters to every Floridian because of the profound economic impact it has on so many of our interior counties. You’re talking about a footprint of half a million acres for which there is really no plan B," he said.
Putnam said, it’s not all bad news for Florida citrus. He’s encouraged by a multi-billion dollar deal the Coca-Cola company just inked to buy Florida-grown oranges.