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The purpose of this document is to provide a framework and provisional values to estimate costs and returns of hemp flower production for commercial producers in Florida. Written by Trent Blare, Zachary Brym, Andres Bejarano Loor, and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agronomy, August 2024.

ABSTRACTTahiti limes were an important fruit tree crop in South Florida until the late 1990s. Several factors contributed to the demise of the Florida lime industry, namely the impact of hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the arrival of Citrus Canker (CC) in 1995. The Florida lime industry was then eradicated in the early 2000s to protect the main commercial citrus industry from CC. This article focuses on the financial viability of reintroducing Tahiti lime production in South Florida. A total of 20 Tahiti lime scion/rootstock combinations were evaluated under endemic CC and Citrus Greening (CG) conditions. We created a deterministic and a stochastic budget to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing Tahiti limes in South Florida that incorporated yields from experimental plots. We also implemented a financial analysis, that included net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) estimations, for a 20-year period with the Tahiti lime/citrus macrophylla (TL/CM), the best performing scion/rootstock combination. Our findings indicated that Tahiti lime production in South Florida was not financially feasible; we obtained a negative NPV from both the deterministic and stochastic budgets. We conclude with a discussion of potential scenarios for the Tahiti lime industry in the US and on lessons for other crops that face similar production challenges.

Esta publicación examina los costos estimados y los rendimientos de una plantación de maracuyá morada establecida en el sur de Florida. La información presentada en este documento se recopiló a través de entrevistas de campo con productores y especialistas en la industria. Se basa en una variedad de prácticas de producción en producciones a pequeña escala (1-2 acres). La información en este documento está destinada solo como una guía para estimar los requisitos financieros de una plantación ya establecida de maracuyá. Estimamos un rendimiento neto de $ 2,772/acre/año, o $ 0. 98/libra, el cual es un retorno económico muy atractivo comparado al de otras frutas tropicales de la zona.

Dado que Florida es uno de los tres estados de los Estados Unidos (junto con California y Hawái) que tiene las condiciones climáticas para cultivar lichi, y la creciente demanda de los consumidores de este cultivo, la producción de lichi tiene el potencial de ser un cultivo rentable para los productores floridanos. Este documento estima los costos y rendimientos asociados con la operación de un bosque de lichi en el sur y centro de Florida. Presenta los resultados de entrevistas de campo con productores de lichi y expertos de la industria. Los productores podrían esperar un promedio de casi $ 8,000 por acre por año de la producción de lichi cuando hay una cosecha, sin embargo, la variación climática que causa cosechas inconsistentes, el aumento de la presión de plagas como el ácaro erinosa de lichi y la fuerte competencia extranjera también deben considerarse al tomar decisiones de producción.

This publication examines the estimated costs and returns of an established purple passionfruit orchard in south Florida. The information presented in this publication was collected through field interviews with growers and industry specialists. It is based on a variety of production practices on small scale farms (1-2 acres). The information is intended only as a guide to estimate the financial requirements of running an established passionfruit planting. We estimated that the average net return of an established passionfruit (purple) plantation in south Florida is approximately $2,562/acre, or $0.92/pound.

Florida is one of three US states (the other two being California and Hawaii) that have the climatic conditions to cultivate lychee. Given the growing consumer demand for this crop, the production of lychee has the potential to be a profitable crop for Florida growers. This publication estimates the costs and returns associated with operating a lychee grove in south and central Florida. It presents the results of field interviews with lychee growers and industry experts. Growers on average can expect to earn nearly $8,000 an acre per year from lychee production when there is a harvest, but climate variation causes inconsistent harvests. When making production decisions, growers must also consider increasing pressure from pests such as the lychee erinose mite, and strong foreign competition.

This new 7-page publication of the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department explores the potential of using bagasse, a dry and fibrous residue of sugarcane left after the sugar juice extraction, as a nutrient source to potentially reduce inorganic fertilizer inputs in the sugarcane production system. Information provided in this article will be useful to commercial sugarcane growers, crop consultants, and fertilizer manufacturers in helping them explore alternative fertilizer options. This paper provides important and timely information for the target audiences, considering the recent, rapid rise in fertilizer prices. Written by Jehangir H. Bhadha, Nan Xu, Naba R. Amgain, Abul Rabbany, Trent D. Blare, Fredy H. Ballen, and Stewart Swanson. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1121

Disease and foreign competition have made many growers question the viability of traditional commodity crops such as tomatoes, citrus, and avocados. Industrial hemp appears to be an attractive alternative, as the 2018 Farm Bill permitted its production. Florida has followed several other states in approving permits in 2020 to allow production of industrial hemp. Markets for industrial hemp products were promising in the first years of production, but market prices started to decline dramatically in 2020 with many growers unable to sell all their product. In this publication, we examine the hemp value chain with a focus on opportunities in the Florida market. Better coordination between regulators, processors, financial institutions, research and Extension services, and the retail sector to build confidence, harmonize policies, and lower transaction costs would help the industry flourish and ensure growers, consumers, and hemp-related enterprises can benefit from this emerging market.

Ese articulo analiza los costos y ingreos esperados en la producción de mango en el sur de Florida. Estimamos que el retorno neto promedio de una plantación establecida de mango en el sur de Florida es de $4,487/acre o de $0.24/libra. La rentabilidad del cultivo de mango en comparación con otros cultivos de frutas tropicales es una opción muy atractiva

Guava is planted thorugh the Tropics and SubTropics and has adapted to a variety of climatic conditions. Florida is the primary producer of guava in the United States. This crop is valued at $3.2 million at the packing house. The growing interest in alternative tropical crops in the last few years has led to increasing interest in this crop. This publication estimates the costs and returns from an established guava orchard in south Florida. We estimate that an established pink guava orchard will have a net return of $9065 per acre per year or $1.13 per pound of fruit sold.

Because of the growing interest in alternative tropical fruit crops to diversify farm income, this 6-page fact sheet written by Fredy H. Ballen, Aditya Singh, Edward Evans, and Jonathan Crane and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department offers an estimate of costs and returns associated with operating an established sugar apple orchard in south Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1053

Interest is growing in minor tropical fruit crops. This 6-page publication written by Fredy H. Ballen, Edward A. Evans, Aditya Singh, and Jonathan H. Crane and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department provides an estimate of the costs and returns associated with the operation of an established longan grove in south Florida. Information presented in this article was obtained through field interviews with growers and industry experts; it reflects a wide variety of production practices in small longan orchards of 1 to 4 acres and should help estimate the financial requirements of operating an established grove. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1049

The objective of this 6-page fact sheet written by Fredy H. Ballen, Aditya Singh, Edward A. Evans, and Jonathan Crane and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department is to provide an estimate of the costs and returns associated with an established mamey sapote orchard in south Florida. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1039

This publication presents the estimated costs and returns associated with the operation of an established pink guava grove in south Florida. The information presented was collected through field interviews with growers and industry specialists; it reflects a wide diversity of production techniques in small guava orchards. The information presented is intended only as a reference to estimate the financial requirements of operating an established pink guava grove.

This 6-page fact sheet written by Edward A. Evans, Fredy H. Ballen, Aditya Singh, and Jonathan H. Crane and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department provides an estimate of the costs and returns associated with an established sapodilla orchard in south Florida. The information presented is based on a wide range of production practices collected through field interviews with growers and industry specialists and is intended as a guide to estimate the financial aspects of operating an established sapodilla grove. Please note that sapodilla has been assessed by the UF/IFAS Invasive Plants Working Group as potentially invasive in south and central Florida. It should not be planted in home landscapes or in groves near natural areas. Sapodilla plantings must be fenced, and the fruit must be moved in covered vehicles to prevent fruit being eaten by wildlife and the plant from infesting areas outside the grove. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1015

Agriculture is an important contributor to Florida’s economy. Only the tourism industry employs more Floridians. In 2012, agricultural output was estimated at $141.8 billion, accounting for 14.9% of the state’s gross domestic product, and providing employment for 20.8% of the state’s labor force. Monitoring the performance of the sector over time is therefore of critical importance to various stakeholders. This 8-page publication focuses on the Agricultural Census data for Miami-Dade County and specifically examines trends over the 15-year period from 1997 to 2012 with the aim of highlighting some of the major trends occurring in the Miami-Dade County agricultural sector. In general, the data show that in spite of challenging times, the agricultural industry has remained important, contributing $604 million to the Florida economy in 2012. Written by Edward Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the Food and Resource Economics Department, October 2016.

El mercadeo es parte esencial de un negocio. De hecho es el corazón de cualquier negocio que sirva la función vital de convertir actividades de producción en desempeño financiero, asegurando la supervivencia del negocio. El mercadeo es clave, sin importar el tipo de negocio (incluyendo la agricultura). This 5-page fact sheet provides a rationale for developing a marketing plan, a step-by-step process for creating one, and a marketing plan worksheet. It is the Spanish-language version of FE967/FE967: Eight Steps to Developing a Simple Marketing Plan. Written by Edward A. Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics. Translated into Spanish November 2015. (Photo credit: Thinkstock) FE978/FE978: Ocho Pasos para Desarrollar un Plan Simple de Mercadeo (ufl.edu)

Marketing is an essential component of any business, including agriculture. Despite the important role of marketing, many smallholding operators/growers are reluctant to create a marketing plan. This 5-page fact sheet provides a rationale for developing a marketing plan, a step-by-step process for creating one, and a marketing plan worksheet. Written by Edward A. Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, August 2015. (Photo credit: iStock/Thinkstock) FE967/FE967: Eight Steps to Developing a Simple Marketing Plan (ufl.edu)

The lethal laurel wilt epidemic affecting avocado trees in Florida is caused by a fungal pathogen-ambrosia beetle complex (LW-AB). The death of over 120,000 commercial avocado trees in Florida may be attributed to LW-AB. Recommendations for control and mitigation of this epidemic are needed to guide commercial producers in their decision-making process. This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department outlines the LW-AB epidemic, provides information on the pathogen and ambrosia beetle vectors, provides a brief outline of current research findings, and offers recommendations for the control and mitigation of LW-AB. Written by Jonathan H. Crane, Daniel Carrillo, Edward A. Evans, Romina Gazis, Bruce Schaffer, Fredy Ballen, and Jeff Wasielewski. Correction as of 3/30/2020: Under "Prophylactic Fungicide Injections," this document previously said that when using Tilt, growers needed to have in their possession a Section 18 special local needs label (SLN). This has been corrected to read that they need a Section 18 Emergency Exemption label.