As the harvest season approaches, Florida citrus growers have received positive news over the summer. There has been beneficial rainfall for groves, and the CRAFT program has opened a new application cycle. In addition, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Rollins signed the 2025 Block Grant and announced the USDA’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program. The FDA also proposed changes to regulations for pasteurized orange juice.
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) will soon release its Annual Report for 2024-25, which covers financial results through June 30, 2025, as well as marketing efforts for Florida Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, and Gift Fruit programs. This report will be available on the FDOC industry website.
Chairman Steve Johnson noted that recent marketing campaigns have focused on positioning Florida Orange Juice as “The Original Wellness Drink.” Johnson credited part of this success to targeted messaging aimed at what FDOC calls “The Modern Juice Consumer.” According to the FDOC Global Marketing team: “A more focused target, this audience is defined more by mindset and functional beverage need states versus traditional demographics, which is demonstrated through digital and purchase behaviors.”
Johnson referenced a quote from Henry Ford that was also cited by FDOC Executive Director Shannon Shepp during the last Legislative Session: “Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”
Looking ahead, Johnson stressed the importance of using resources wisely in order to fight citrus greening and ensure continued demand for Florida citrus products. He said that being good stewards of both land and time would help secure future harvests.
Steve Johnson is Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus.
