Disease Hits Brazil Citrus Growers

Disease Hits Brazil Citrus Growers

The number of small-scale citrus farms (Brazil considers a citrus farm with less than 300,000 trees to be small-scale) is declining as citrus greening continues to damage the industry.  The disease was first discovered in Brazil in 2004 and since that time 30 million infected trees have had to be destroyed.  In 2008 0.6% of citrus trees in the country were affected, by 2012 the amount increased to 7%.  Many smaller citrus operations that were no longer economically viable have switched to growing other crops including sugar cane.  One large corporate producer in Brazil is Cambuhy.  Cambuhy has 2.8 million trees under cultivation on 6,300 hectares with a modern factory that has the capacity to produce 40,000 tons of orange juice per year.  The company has lost approximately 140,000 trees to the disease with the peak loss in 2010. In 2012 50,000 trees had to be destroyed, and in 2013 21,000.  The company must spray for psyllids 24 times per year and all new seedlings are treated with systemic insecticides until they are two years old.  Five years ago Cambuhy had approximately 200 smaller neighboring citrus operations, however with the expense of fighting the disease that number is now 77.

 

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