The Florida Citrus Commission has passed a 2010-11 budget that includes $10m for citrus disease research.
The state Citrus Department's governing body's plans are subject to a final vote in October, once the US Department of Agriculture releases its estimate for next season's crop, but it plans to introduce a ¢3 tax that will raise about US$5.5m for the Florida Citrus Research and Development Foundation, , according to the Ledger newspaper.
George Streetman, the commission's chairman, has also appointed a 12-man committee to look at whether Florida should work with California, Texas and other citrus-producing states to create a federal organisation that could have the power to tax foreign imports to support disease research programmes.
The foundation is made up of growers who are co-ordinating research efforts to combat citrus greening disease, which in recent years has affected all of Florida's 32 counties that are involved in commercial citrus production.
The cost of the new tax will be partially offset by a 2¢ cut in tax rates across all citrus varieties.
The commission has had to reduce its marketing budget for orange juice by US$900k in order to make a total contribution of US$10m to the foundation.
No comments yet