Dispute Stalls Citrus Canker Settlements

Florida’s top agriculture official will meet Monday with U.S. Agriculture Secretary John R. Block to try to resolve a snag that has blocked citrus growers from receiving millions of dollars promised them after their trees were burned in a canker eradication program.

The dispute involves the value of the trees, and state Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner said, “We have not been able to resolve this at a level less than the secretary’s office.”

Conner said he has several suggestions for resolving the dispute. The last resort would require waiting for legislative action when lawmakers begin their session April 2, he said.

Necessary for Eradication

About 7 million young trees and seedlings were burned after the canker was discovered last August at a Central Florida nursery. The tree-killing bacteria is incurable and fast-spreading, and burning was considered the only way to eradicate the disease.

In December, the Legislature agreed to offer citrus growers money to offset the losses, with the federal government to match state funds in the $6.8-million program.

Legislators set the reimbursement value at $6 for resets--trees that were old enough to have been planted in groves--but the federal government uses a reimbursement figure of $7.48. Officials agreed on the value of other categories of damaged trees, including seedlings and container plants.

Growers are expected to be reimbursed for about 70% of the trees’ value.

“The hang-up (on resets) is simply that the federal government says it cannot deviate from that price because that would be discriminatory and would bring on lawsuits for them, and the Florida Legislature is saying we have a law that we cannot go beyond $6,” Conner said.

“Nurserymen need their money. Some of them have loans due and overdue and lending institutions are bringing pressure on them now.”