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Growers donate $250K to fight citrus disease

Highlands Today – July 29, 2011

The Florida’s Natural Growers Board of Directors voted to donate $250,000 to fight citrus greening, a disease plaguing the Florida Citrus industry.

“As a Florida grower cooperative, it is important to combat this disease with every resource available. This support of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation and their efforts to battle citrus greening is vital to the long-term future of the Florida Citrus Industry,” said Steve Caruso, Florida’s Natural Growers CEO.

HLB, known as citrus greening, is a bacterium whose presence was confirmed in Florida in 2005 and is evident in every citrus growing region in the state and worldwide.

The disease attacks the nutrient absorption of the citrus tree and leads to a rapid decline and eventual death.

“For the Florida Citrus Industry, HLB is the most important issue,” added Caruso.

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc. is a Florida nonprofit corporation organized in May 2009 as a direct service organization of the University of Florida.

Its mission is to “advance disease and production research and product development activities to ensure the survival and competitiveness of Florida’s citrus growers through innovation,” a media release stated

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