Florida Citrus At A Crossroads
Citrus has shaped the state's identity for a hundred years. But it's been a rough ten years, with freezes, hurricanes, development pressure and disease. And when the industry needs help the most, Tallahassee doesn't seem to be that interested.
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Show Notes
Citrus has shaped the state's identity for a hundred years. But it's been a rough ten years, with freezes, hurricanes, development pressure...and worst of all, the disease Huanglongbing, otherwise known as citrus greening. And when the industry needs help the most, Tallahassee doesn't seem to be that interested. There's nobody with a powerful political position right now that has a citrus background. And legislators just cut the budget to the Florida Citrus Commission by about 80 percent. Citrus is at a crossroads. Host Robin Sussingham talks to Kevin Bouffard, senior reporter at The Ledger; Mike Sparks, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual; and Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus.