In the search for a tool to combat citrus greening, which has run rampant, devastating the citrus industry in Florida, growers may have finally found an answer.
"The anti-bacterials have been applied in most groves," said Marty McKenna, a Lake Wales-based grower and Florida citrus commissioner. "If most of the groves are responding, I don't think you can deny the impact."
The citrus trees seem to be holding onto their fruit statewide, and in the approximately 5,000 grove acres his company, McKenna Brothers Inc., manages in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties, he said.
McKenna's optimism came as the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its latest 2016-17 crop estimate Thursday. Which showed less of a fall in production than previous periods.
"We see this as a positive sign that we are gaining ground on (greening) and getting closer to a stabilized industry" he said.
Thursday's report represents a significant improvement from USDA's January 2016 report, which saw a 14 percent decline in last season's orange crop to 69 million boxes from its initial forecast of 80 million boxes. That report attributed the decline to the highest pre-harvest drop rates in a decade.
In March, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam approved an emergency order allowing Florida growers to spray three anti-bacterial chemicals on their trees pending U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval. The EPA subsequently approved use of the anti-bacterials until Dec. 31, and it reapproved their use on Tuesday until the end of the year.
