citrus industry
In Face of Citrus Greening Disease and Unsustainable Prices, Can Riverside’s Citrus Industry Endure?
March 21, 2016 | AJ Hughes
“Riverside oranges are a beautiful commodity, and have the best taste ever,” says Riverside farmer Brian Griffith. But in the face of citrus greening disease and unsustainable prices, can the citrus industry in Riverside, California endure?
To get an answer to this question, we spoke with an entomologist and two orange growers. The entomologist is confident that Riverside citrus will survive citrus greening disease (otherwise known as HLB), and both growers are moving forward with realism tinged optimism. At the moment, though, there are no easy answers—only complex ones.
Insect Helped Expose Existing Problems
The Asian citrus psyllid, a sap-sucking insect native to Asia, was first found in Florida in 1998. Now, it has made its way to the West Coast. The bug is one of two vectors of HLB (the other is the African citrus psyllid). It poses a serious threat to all citrus trees, and currently there is no cure.
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