Would you pay 40 percent more to support the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and Florida Citrus Mutual? That was essentially the question David Evans asked 14 fellow growers attending a mid-March OJ extension meeting at Apopka. The growers had just heard a presentation on FDOC marketing and public relations programs. Evans, a Florida Citrus Mutual director, asked if the growers would be willing to pay 30 cents per box of fruit they sell each year to support the two organizations. For most growers, 30 cents would represent a 39.5 percent increase over the current combined FDOC processed orange tax of 18.5 cents and Mutual's three-cent assessment. Most FDOC money is spent on marketing of processed and fresh citrus, while Mutual supports a broad array of informational and lobbying efforts.
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