California IN BRIEF : OAKLAND : Change Unlikely on Citrus Ban

California probably will not lift its ban on foreign-produced oranges, even though the recent cold snap has devastated its own crop, a state official said. Many states that do not grow citrus fruit import seedless oranges from Israel, Mexico, Brazil and other countries. But California bans foreign citrus for fear of disease that could harm the state’s industry, said Roy Borton, a senior agricultural economist for the Department of Food and Agriculture. “I don’t think the rules will be lifted because of the freeze,” he said. “We’ll have to rely on Florida, Arizona and Texas for extra oranges and grapefruit.” Those states, however, raise mostly seeded Valencia oranges used for making juice, while California grows seedless navel oranges for eating.