Now is the time of year when Sunshine State citrus is ripe for the picking, and officials are working to give fruit- basket season a boost. The Citrus Administrative Committee is relaxing minimum size requirements for packers this year. Pete Spyke, owner of G&S Fruit Packers in Weirsdale and the Orange Barn in Lady Lake, largely escaped major storm damage. Rick Scott requested $21 million for the citrus industry as part of his budget for 2018-19. A third of that funding would support the Citrus Health Response Program, a state and federal partnership to combat citrus diseases.

Source: Daily Sun November 29, 2017 13:07 UTC