Posts Tagged: citrus disease

A world without California citrus?

If you've been to your local California farmer's market lately, you've seen the rows and rows of fresh, delicious citrus. The blood oranges are just waiting to be made into juice, and the clementines are practically peeling themselves. You leave, with citrus peels under your finger nails and your hands sticky and smelling of sweet sweet oranges.

Now imagine going to your local farmer's market, and seeing no locally-grown citrus. No oranges, no lemons, no grapefruits, no mandarins.

According to the Citrus Research Board, California's citrus industry generates approximately $1.8 billion in economic activity through commercial growing operations. 

But that could all change if Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, gets a hold of our trees. The pest, and the disease it transmits, has the potential to completely decimate California citrus crops.

So far the disease-transmitting pest, asian citrus psyllid, has been found as far north as Tulare County. In 2012, the disease was found in Los Angeles County. In Florida, the disease has tallied more than 6,600 lost jobs, $1.3 billion in lost revenue to growers and $3.6 billion in lost economic activity according to CDFA.

The average American eats 12.5 pounds of citrus each year. California's citrus industry ranks 2nd in the U.S.

How do we prevent HLB from claiming our citrus trees? What would California look like without citrus? What would world agriculture look like without California citrus? Comment and let us know your thoughts.

Ted Batkin, president of the California Citrus Research Board and Global Food Systems Forum panelist, describes the pest and it's potential affects in the video below.

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