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Could Florida's next big cash crop be pomegranates?
Highlands Today Agri-Leader – January 11, 2012
Move over citrus, there’s a new fruit in town.
Often selling for $2 to $3 per fruit, pomegranates are well worth the price — thanks to their delicious sweet taste and their abundance of vitamins and powerful antioxidants packed inside.
Pomegranates are a reddish fruit that looks similar to an apple. They can be juiced or made into other healthy items like bars and teas. The tasty jewel-like arils found inside their outer shell can also serve as a snack.
The plants themselves are shrubs (6-12 feet tall) or can be trained as smaller trees that may grow as high as 20-plus feet. They can also be attractive ornamentals.
Each plant bears approximately 30-60 fruit per tree. The plants can be potentially profitable within five years after planting and live about 15 years.
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The fruit is gaining in popularity, especially in California where the product POM Wonderful brand of pomegranate juice and other products was launched.
In fact, according to California Pomegranate Council, “From 2006 to 2009, the number of acres dedicated to California pomegranates jumped from 12,000 to 30,000 acres and continues to increase.”
What’s good news for Florida growers is that pomegranate plants are not as susceptible to diseases as seen with citrus, so they may make a good alternative. In particular, pomegranates are safe from Citrus Greening Disease.
That disease, also known as Huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease, is the most serious of citrus maladies and is a major concern of growers. The bacterial disease causes the leaves to mottle and makes the fruit bitter and unusable.
In 2009, a project spearheaded by William Castle, professor emeritus, UF-IFAS, Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, was begun. The purpose is to evaluate pomegranate potential in Florida.
Since then, 5,000 pomegranate plants of various varieties have been distributed throughout the state.
Homeowners, hobbyists and nurseries planted and cared for the plants and then shared their observations with Castle.
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So far, the results of the project are promising.
For example, Tyler Bowen of J&B Grove Service Inc. planted about 300 pomegranates on two acres to help determine which variety would produce best. Although the property is in the Green Swamp area, in the heart of Central Florida, the plants were planted on a sand hill that remains dry and cool.
Bowen surveyed the plants for pest and fungal levels, along with growth pattern variations between the varieties, and stated: “Growth has been impressive on most varieties.”
Bowen potentially plans to add 20-30 acres of pomegranates. Considering the high value of the individual fruit, the potential earnings can be as much as $5,000 per acre.
Another site where pomegranates were planted for the project was at the Highlands County Extension Agricultural Center. There, 21 varieties were planted in seven rows.
“The plants are checked for the effects of heat, freezes and humidity, as well as for diseases and production,” said Dianne Dilger Jacobson, University of Florida Extension horticulture Agent.
A 4-H group, overseen by Jacobson and reported in last week’s Agri-Leader, is currently taking care of the pomegranates for the 4-H project. The children are learning everything from how to take care of the crop to understanding costs, and developing marketing skills.
While the project will continue for another two to three years, it is piquing the interest of Florida growers.
“Florida growers are showing interest in the plant, due to the results we are seeing so far,” said Castle, who explained that Georgia is also looking into the viability of growing pomegranate.
According to UF/Extension, “Pomegranates in North Florida mature from July to November but may produce year round in South Florida.”
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