In an aerial view of a fruit loader harvesting oranges at a grove in Fort Meade, Fla. on Feb. 1, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In an aerial view of a fruit loader harvesting oranges at a grove in Fort Meade, Fla. on Feb. 1, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida lawmakers are taking steps to save Florida’s citrus industry and to restrict foreign countries from purchasing the state’s valuable farmland.
At the Jan. 4 Florida Senate Agriculture Committee meeting—the first in the 2023 regular session—Chairman Jay Collins (R-District 14) acknowledged that the citrus industry in the Sunshine State is facing formidable challenges.
“Our citrus across the state continues to decline due to competition from foreign markets, the ongoing effects of citrus [greening], and other environmental factors,” Collins said after a discussion of member priorities for the new session….