Organization Florida Foundation Seed Producers announced the signing of a licensing agreement with New Varieties Development and Management Corp (NVDMC) to introduce a range of citrus varieties that have shown improved tolerance to Huanglongbing (HLB). 

The varieties covered by the agreement include ‘N14-10’ Hamlin, ‘OLL-DC-3-40’ Sweet Orange, ‘OLL-DC-3-36’ Sweet Orange, ‘C4-10-42’ Mandarin Hybrid, ‘RBA 13-18’ Mandarin Hybrid, and ‘Orange 14’ Rootstock. 

These six new varieties were developed by Drs. Frederick Gmitter, Jr. and Jude Grosser at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. They will join the forty-five additional UF/IFAS varieties that FFSP has licensed for propagation and sale to Florida growers since 2009. 

The collaboration aims to facilitate access to these HLB-tolerant varieties for Florida’s citrus nurseries and growers and to support the citrus industry's recovery by providing growers with solutions that can better withstand HLB while maintaining fruit quality and yield.

USDA April 2025 citrus estimate

In a statement released by Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, addressing the latest USDA April 2025 Citrus projection, he said the stability reached this month demonstrates resilience in the face of hurdles. 

"Despite devastating storms and the ongoing battle with citrus greening, our growers continue to persevere, and treatments and therapies are helping citrus trees recover," said Joyner. "We are grateful to Senate President Ben Albritton and his vision for making citrus great again through record investments in research and replanting for the industry's long-term sustainability."

The United States Department of Agriculture's revised citrus crop estimate projects 11.6 million boxes of oranges, 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit, and 400,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos for the 2024-2025 harvest season in April 2025 revised citrus crop estimate.