H & S CITRUS, INC
H & S CITRUS, INC
In The News...
A word of caution Partners, if you are buying ORANGE JUICE at your local grocery store....
"When drivers of large trucks,
buses and hazardous materials take their eyes off the road for even a few
seconds, the outcome can be deadly," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
"I hope that this rule will save lives by helping commercial drivers stay
laser-focused on safety at all times while behind the wheel."
The final rule prohibits commercial drivers from using a hand-held
mobile telephone while operating a commercial truck or bus. Drivers who violate
the restriction will face federal civil penalties of up to
$2,750 for each offense and disqualification from operating a commercial
motor vehicle for multiple offenses. Additionally, states will
suspend a driver's commercial driver's license (CDL) after
two or more serious traffic violations. Commercial truck and bus
companies that allow their drivers to use hand-held cell phones while driving
will face a maximum penalty of $11,000.
Approximately four million commercial drivers would be affected by this final
rule.
"This final rule represents a
giant leap for safety," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "It's just too
dangerous for drivers to use a hand-held cell phone while operating a commercial
vehicle. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and head
in the game when operating on our roads. Lives are at stake."
While driver distraction
studies have produced mixed results, FMCSA research shows that using a hand-held
cell phone while driving requires a commercial driver to take several risky
steps beyond what is required for using a hands-free mobile phone, including
searching and reaching for the phone. Commercial drivers reaching for an object,
such as a cell phone, are three times more likely to be involved in a crash or
other safety-critical event. Dialing a hand-held cell phone makes it six times
more likely that commercial drivers will be involved in a crash or other
safety-critical event.
In September 2010, FMCSA
issued a regulation banning text messaging while operating a commercial truck or
bus and PHMSA followed with a companion regulation in February 2011, banning
texting by intrastate hazardous materials drivers.
"Needless injuries and deaths
happen when people are distracted behind the wheel," said PHMSA Administrator
Cynthia Quarterman. "Our final rule would improve safety and reduce risks of
hazmat in transportation."
Nearly 5474 people died and half a million were injured in crashes involving a
distracted driver in 2009. Distraction-related fatalities represented 16 percent
of overall traffic fatalities in 2009, according to National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) research.
Many of the largest truck and bus companies, such as UPS, Covenant Transport,
Wal-Mart, Peter Pan and Greyhound already have company policies in place banning
their drivers from using hand-held phones.
The final hand-held cell phone ban rule can be accessed
here.
(http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/rulemakings/final/Mobile_phone_NFRM.pdf)
To learn more about the U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to stop
distracted driving, please visit
http://www.distraction.gov
Nowhere in Florida, however, has acreage fallen off as sharply as in Martin County, which has only 21 percent remaining of the 48,221 acres that were in production in 1994, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual survey shows.
Losing 4,567 acres last year alone, Martin County has incurred the greatest loss of acreage among Florida counties for three straight years and has been on a steady decline since 1994.
In same three-year period, St. Lucie County acreage is down 18 percent and Indian River County acreage is down about 11 percent.
Among the casualties was a 1,717-acre citrus grove in Palm City owned by the King Ranch and its subsidiary Consolidated Citrus, the largest citrus grower in Florida.
Because of greening, citrus is no longer viable on the property, the company has said. After a court battle with conservationists, King Ranch's AgTEC (Agricultural and Targeted Employment Center) plan received final approval this summer from the state's planning agency for a mix of industrial, commercial and agricultural development.
Combined, citrus acreage on the Treasure Coast has decreased by almost 24 percent since 2008, while the rest of the state has lost only 2 percent.
Growers in the Indian River District, a narrow strip of Florida's eastern seaboard, stretching 200 miles from the Daytona Beach area to West Palm Beach and including the Treasure Coast, produce three-fourths of the state's grapefruit. Most of that grapefruit is sold fresh to overseas markets.
The USDA report said grapefruit acreage statewide fell to a new low of 48,990 acres, representing only 55 percent of the pre-hurricanes figure.
Tom Jerkins, vice president and general manager of Blue Goose Growers LLC in Fort Pierce, said he thinks the companies that own most of the 10,000 citrus acres in Martin County are like him.
"We tend to fight," Jerkins said. "We're not willing to stop, even when it may be prudent to stop."
About 2,000 of the 16,000 acres of citrus groves Blue Goose manages are in Martin County.
Pete McClure, agricultural research and business development manager for Vero Beach-based Evans Properties Inc., said Martin County acreage has declined faster than elsewhere in Florida, including St. Lucie and Indian River counties, because Martin County groves were hit harder by diseases such as canker and greening that moved up from South Florida.
"It's possible that Indian River and St. Lucie could be like Martin County unless we develop better management strategies," McClure said.
Evans Properties also has about 16,000 acres in production, but only one 1,500-acre orange grove in western Martin County.
And the spate of hurricanes in 2004, and Tropical Storm Fay since then, hit Martin County harder, McClure said.
"There was a lot of damage to older, mature trees that wasn't immediately noticeable, but it made them more susceptible to diseases," he said.
The diseases haven't gone away, but growers are gaining renewed optimism and cautiously replanting some groves, said Paul Genke, sales manager for Packers of Indian River in Fort Pierce, which has a total of about 2,700 acres of groves in St. Lucie and Indian River counties, but none in Martin County.
"The disease problem is still prevalent, but owners want to be in the business for the long term," Genke said.
Citrus acreage
..............................................% decline............% decline
..................................2011......from 1994.........from 2008
Indian River ...............34,899....... -49.6.................-10.5
Martin........................10,046....... -79.2.................-56.6
St. Lucie.....................39,223.......-63.8................-18.4
Treasure Coast............84,168...... -62.7................ -23.7
Rest of Florida...........457,160......-27.2................. -2.0
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Florida Field Office