Florida citrus growers end worst season in decades

Florida’s citrus industry experienced its worst growing season since World War II as the hurricane-battered harvest is now essentially complete. The latest forecast numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show no change in the past month for orange production, which is off 34.7 percent from the prior growing season. [Source: WPEC]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Retiring in Style: Trends in Florida retirement living

Suburbs house the bulk of senior communities in Florida, but developments are sprouting in downtowns, appealing to urbanites who want walkability and convenience. Downtown senior developments tend to be higher priced because land usually is more expensive and building rules are more stringent. Full story here.

Florida’s live calf auctions are critical to state’s smaller ranchers

Florida’s live cattle auction markets have diminished in number in recent decades but not in importance. Florida’s eight federally licensed auction markets play an important economic role in the state’s cattle industry by setting a transparent, public market price for each year’s calf crop as well as older animals. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Florida spiny lobster harvest stunted by 2017 hurricane season

“There isn’t a lobster trap in the state of Florida that was not impacted in some fashion by the hurricane,” said Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. As a result, the spiny lobster season that ended March 31 was on the slow side, according to state landings data as well as fishermen and wholesalers. [Source: National Fisherman]

Poll confirms ‘voter fatigue’ fears over 13 constitutional amendments on November ballot

A Florida Chamber of Commerce poll confirms what critics feared – on a ballot crowded with local, state and Congressional elections, the 13 proposed constitutional amendments voters will be presented on Nov. 6 might get overlooked by many. According to the Chamber, if the election was held today, only four of the proposed constitutional amendments would garner the 60 percent majority necessary to pass. [Source: Florida Watchdog]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando airport promises 'major announcement' on new flights in U.S. and abroad [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando’s airport will make a “major announcement” Thursday that it says will result in a “substantial economic impact to the Central Florida region.” Last year, Orlando International leapfrogged Phoenix and Miami airports, rising from 13th largest to 11th in the nation.

› Tenants at Tampa’s Bank of America tower say road work is holding them hostage [Tampa Bay Times]
Since the start of a $5.7 million street resurfacing project late last year on Kennedy Boulevard and Jackson Street, traffic jams are forcing people who work in the Bank of America building to idle for up to an hour just to exit the tower’s garage building on Ashley Drive.

› Plastic bags, garbage are plaguing Brevard's recycling plant, forcing costly shutdowns [Florida Today]
Plastic bags, tarps and oddball debris that don't belong in recycling bins are snarling equipment inside Brevard's recycling plant, forcing hours of shutdowns and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Related:
» SeaWorld is eliminating single-use plastics, including straws, coffee stirrers and shoping bags

› Filmmaking in Tampa Bay Area ekes out a living [83 Degrees Media]
As Tyler Martinolich tells it, the anemic filming industry in Tampa Bay is the story of unrealized potential held back largely by politics. He is Film Tampa Bay’s interim executive director and a wealth of information about the goings-on of film, in the area and in the wider industry.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Yuengling buys naming rights at USF Sun Dome [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. has signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights to the University of South Florida's Sun Dome, which will become the Yuengling Center on July 1. Yuengling, whose historic brewery is based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, has operated a brewery in Tampa since 1999.

› Catrike adds wheel assembly line to Florida factory [Bicycle Retailer]
Recumbent trike manufacturer Catrike recently expanded its Orlando facility with the addition of a new wheel assembly line. "We are constantly working to improve our production systems and processes," Catrike general manager Mark Egeland.

› Tampa early-stage capital firm expands through partnership [Business Observer]
Florida Funders, a firm providing early-stage capital to Florida technology companies, has launched a partnership with the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator. FIBA, based in Tampa, supports Israeli growth-stage companies’ entrance in the U.S. market.

› Rain in Florida, labor shortage in California for tomato growers [Fresh Plaza]
The Florida tomato season has now largely finished for the year. Recent rains meant that it finished a little earlier than usual. Overall, the season produced a good quality crop with decent volumes, but growers noted that prices were lower.