TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) \u2014 The State of Florida is putting up $196 million to fortify the future of the citrus industry, with the passage of this upcoming year\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we\u2019ve seen our production decline precipitously, and we\u2019ve seen acreage start to contract quite a bit, but we\u2019re still an enormous commodity,\u201d said Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, a growers\u2019 association.<\/p>\n
Citrus growers across the state are cashing out after facing difficulties like inclement weather or citrus greening year after year.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything you\u2019ve made in the last 40 years is being lost in the next four years so that\u2019s the decision,\u201d said Haines City citrus grower Ed Dickinson.<\/p>\n
Dickinson says his farm once stretched around 300 acres. Now he\u2019s working 100 acres, and hoping to cut that number in half soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you like what you\u2019re doing, it\u2019s not a job,\u201d said Dickinson. \u201cIf you don\u2019t like what you\u2019re doing then it\u2019s a job\u2026 I guess I\u2019m just too stupid to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
The citrus industry is a $6.9 billion industry for the state, with Florida\u2019s fruits filling about 15% of the nation\u2019s citrus needs.<\/p>\n
The largest chunk of the funding is intended for commercial scale testing of technologies and practices that could improve tree health, productivity, and profitability.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not see our industry ever expanding back to what it was,\u201d said Joyner. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s the ultimate goal for a strong industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joyner says an increase in Florida\u2019s population has turned over a lot of the state\u2019s farmland, but he says innovation allows farmers to grow more with less.<\/p>\n
Dickinson says he\u2019s not convinced, fearing that whatever they discover, it\u2019ll cost him too much to get his hands on it. He says in the past, patents for special formulas or citrus varieties were expensive and sometimes lacked a return on investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a nightmare now but it\u2019s just going to get worse,\u201d said Dickinson. \u201cThe next two years will tell the story.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Dickinson says he\u2019s doing his own field research, testing different varieties and even trying some unique companion planting, and hoping to make a breakthrough.<\/p>\n
The budget goes in place July 1.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n