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This article assesses the profitability of a hypothetical 5-acre tahiti lime (Citrus latifolia) orchard in southern Florida in the presence of citrus canker (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri) and citrus greening [Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (LAS)]. To account for the uncertainty associated with the presence of these diseases, a stochastic budgeting technique was employed in the analysis, incorporating stochastic prices and yields based on discussions with industry experts and researchers. The analysis focused on three possible types of management strategies currently practiced by citrus (Citrus sp.) growers in Florida: 1) production without any specific control activities for citrus canker and citrus greening, 2) canker and greening management without removal or replacement of infected/suspicious trees, and 3) canker and greening management with removal and replacement of infected trees. The analysis was carried out for a 20-year time horizon and average net return per acre and rate of return on investment were considered. The results suggest that despite the presence of disease, it would be profitable to produce tahiti limes in southern Florida. This is because the tahiti lime offers some resistance to both citrus greening and canker and will produce even if minimal attention is paid to controlling the diseases. Of the three management strategies investigated, strategy 2 offers the best prospect in terms of high net returns and highest probability of achieving or surpassing the desired rates of return on investment of 12% per annum. The key finding from the study is that the production of tahiti limes in southern Florida can be profitable if steps are taken to manage the diseases, but contrary to popular view, it might be better to wait until the trees become fully unproductive before disposing of them.

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The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of experienced quality attributes, credence quality attributes and demographic factors affecting green-skin avocado consumption. Data for the present study came from a consumer online survey to 355 avocado consumers. Consumer preferences were modeled by an ordered logit model. Results indicate that experienced quality attributes are the main drivers for green-skin avocado followed by origin and health credence attributes, respectively. Demographic factors other than ethnicity do not play a significant role for green-skin avocado consumption. Among other things, the findings indicate that consumers place a higher valuation on higher fat content compared to low calorie content, implying that the latter attribute should not be touted at the expense of the former. To the extent possible, the industry should focus on cultivars with higher fat content and develop promotional activities to target non-Hispanic consumers. The present study constitutes an effort to contribute to the existing literature as it explores the role of health credence attributes, a topic that has not received much attention.

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This 8-page fact sheet provides updated information about the recent trends in blueberry production, consumption, and trade for the US market. Current and future short-term trends are discussed. Price analysis at the wholesale level for selected markets on the US East Coast (New York City) and US West Coast (Los Angeles) are presented. Also, the national average retail prices for conventional and organic blueberries are presented. Written by Edward A. Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, October 2014.

The market demand for tropical fruits has been growing steadily over the past two decades. Global papaya production has grown significantly over the last few years, mainly as a result of increased production in India. Papaya has become an important agricultural export for developing countries, where export revenues of the fruit provide a livelihood for thousands of people, especially in Asia and Latin America. Papaya exports contribute to the growing supply of healthy food products on international markets. The top three exporting countries accounted for 63.28 percent of the total global exports of papaya between 2007 and 2009, with more than half of those exports going to the United States. This 7-page fact sheet provides information on global trends in the production and trade of papaya. An overview of the current and future trends of global papaya production and trade, and the main papaya exporting and importing countries, is presented herewith. Written by Edward A. Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, September 2012. FE913/FE913: An Overview of Global Papaya Production, Trade, and Consumption (ufl.edu)

This article develops an inverse demand model for Florida green-skin avocados (Persea americana). Information from the model is used to assess the likely impact on growers’ prices resulting from a reduction in the supply of Florida green-skin avocados due to a recent outbreak of a deadly fungus in the Florida commercial avocado production area. Consideration is also given to the increased supply of green-skin avocados imported to the United States from the Dominican Republic (DR), as well as the increased availability of ‘Hass’ avocado in the U.S. market. The estimated own price flexibility of –0.551 evaluated at the mean suggests that Florida avocado prices are not very responsive to changes in quantity supplied. A reduction in the quantity supplied is likely to bring about a less than proportionate rise in the price. Moreover, any noticeable rise in prices due to the impact of the disease is likely to be short lived and may be insufficient to cover additional grove management costs. In the longer run, prices are expected to revert closer to their long-run trend (or decrease) as a result of increased shipments from the DR, and further increases in the availability of ‘Hass’ avocados.