Citrus world leaders to meet, discuss plans to survive

Business leaders of the global citrus industry will gather in Daytona Beach, Florida, on March 27 and 28 at the International Citrus Business Conference to develop solutions and strategic plans to ensure the survival of the world's citrus industry.

Citrus greening and declining OJ demand are threatening the survival of the citrus industry. Now more than ever, the leaders of the industry must gather together to respond to these challenges.

While much of the industry's focus since HLB has been on production practices and how to maintain a healthy crop, the demand for orange juice has shrunk to record lows. The citrus industry has lost 50 percent of the U.S. orange juice market since 2002. The industry continues to decline at a swift 5 to 7 percent each year. If it continues as is, the U.S. orange juice market will only need 59 million boxes of oranges by the time greening-resistant citrus trees are in full production. Now, with consumer demand so low, the concern shifts to how growers will market their fruit in the future even if they can overcome HLB.

The International Citrus Business Conference is going to provide a forum for citrus business leaders to discuss the strategies that will be a first step in turning this market around.

Speakers from around the globe will provide insights to the different facets of the industry from a worldwide perspective. The conference will examine other countries' marketing strategies, alternative markets for citrus byproducts, what drives consumer demand, what solutions for HLB lay on the horizon and much more. To view the full agenda and the dynamic lineup of speakers, visit http://citrusindustry.net/businessconferenceagenda.