As the summer draws to a close, Florida citrus growers are preparing for the upcoming harvest season. The recent months have brought several developments for the industry, including beneficial rainfall, new opportunities through the CRAFT program, and federal support measures such as the signing of the 2025 Block Grant by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Rollins and the announcement of the USDA’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program. The FDA has also proposed changes to the standard of identity for pasteurized orange juice.
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) is set to release its Annual Report for 2024-25 before the next issue of Triangle. This report will include financial results for the year ending June 30, 2025, and outline marketing efforts for Florida Orange Juice, Florida Grapefruit Juice, Florida Citrus, and Gift Fruit programs. The full report will be available on the industry website.
A major focus over the past year has been The True Original campaign, which aimed to position Florida Orange Juice as “The Original Wellness Drink” among consumers seeking functional beverages with health benefits and natural ingredients. According to Steve Johnson, Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, “With that said, I’m looking forward to what’s ahead, because we already have vital pieces in play to keep building on the success of the last 12 months.”
Johnson credited part of this success to FDOC’s targeted marketing approach: “Part of this success is a direct result of the FDOC marketing team’s efforts to deliver key messaging to the most relevant audience— an audience I’ve mentioned in previous columns that we’ve dubbed ‘The Modern Juice Consumer.’ Our Global Marketing team summarizes the audience this way: ‘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.’”
He referenced a quote from Henry Ford cited by FDOC Executive Director Shannon Shepp during a recent Legislative Session: “Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”
Looking ahead at ongoing challenges such as citrus greening disease and changing consumer preferences, Johnson emphasized careful resource management: “As we look ahead to the coming season, we understand that we can’t stop our watch to save time. In fact, one could argue that time is like land. If you’re a good steward of it— if you manage it wisely— it will be good right back to you. No one knows that better than a citrus grower in the fight against citrus greening. We need resources, we need sustainable solutions, we need to replant with the latest tolerant varieties, and we need to use every ounce of time we have to keep our products front-and-center in the minds of consumers. Why? Because we know that using our time wisely now will result in a more bountiful harvest in years to come; and when that time comes (because it will), the demand must be there to meet it.”
Steve Johnson serves as Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission and leads Johnson Harvesting, Inc., based in Wauchula.
