July 7, 2007

Dearly Beloved:

For years it has been plain that the world of Florida citrus has changed (maybe forever) and the FCC/DOC should change the strategies by which they spend the growers money. Now and then, the FCC has given passing recognition of this. In late 2005 a Special Industry Committee (SIC) was appointed. In January 2006 (I think) there was interim report. In July 2006 the FCC discussed the final report with its recommendations (which have received lip service, at best). Now, only last month, at the June 2007 FCC meeting, a remarkable thing happened. Discussing the budget for the coming year Commissioner Behr opened “I’m not at all sure the advertising/marketing tactics we are employing are still the right ones. I’m concerned that doing the same thing we have always done--implementing programs designed to grow the category--is no longer the right thing to do. Who are we growing it for? I think we need to take a long hard look at the direction in which we are moving.” We are, as a result of the current marketing strategy, exporting the benefit.” Behr said, “At the least, we need to examine different strategies--perhaps an NFC strategy or a Florida Identified program would be better. But, Behr said, “I’m not absolutely sure that is the answer, perhaps a better solution might be in offering some kind of incentive with the trade to promote Florida product. What I do believe is this--if production estimates for the next ten years are accurate at around 120-I5O million boxes, then endorsing the current generic strategy long- term means Florida’s growers will be supporting growing regions other than their own.” Behr, frustrated with the direction of current programs, made it absolutely clear that as directed by the FCC, the department and its marketing team have done exactly what they have been asked to do. And they have done it well. (Reported in The Citrus Reporter June 22, 2007). And that, dear reader, is much what the special industry committee concluded about a year and 50 or 60 million dollars ago. And then, the unthinkable happened, nothing. In business as usual the FCC adopted the usual budget and the grower representatives took notes. So growers can anticipate more of the same old same old. This is almost unbelievable. All of these Commissioners are successful business people. There is no chance they would deal with their money as they deal with that of growers. I do not understand. I have been paid for my fruit in the harvest season just ending. It was more, far more, than I have ever gotten before. This marvelous result was not a result of FCC/DOC advertising efforts. It was a result of changing market and crop conditions. The increase in sales prices comes with a much smaller decrease in movement figures. Once again, we cannot expect that bonanza to last. Already, Florida processors (with Commission representation) are importing Brazilian NFC to mix with ours. But, we can expect ever changing market conditions for our Florida grown fruit and we must have a new program for spending our grower advertising dollars. It is all about politics, if growers (or their organizations) do not demand change, there will not be change. If there is not change, and soon, I predict there will not be an FCC/DOC much longer, and that would be a shame. The pool of money the FCC represents allows all of us to do things none of us could do. It gave us frozen concentrate which, in turn, gave us industrial citrus, a multi-million box crop and market. Now, if we are as smart as our fathers and grandfathers it can give us still more wonders.

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