#CitrusMatters Campaign Aims To Raise Awareness Of HLB In California

By Growing Produce Staff|March 5, 2015

Bayer CropScience and California Citrus Mutual have launched #CitrusMatters, a year-long campaign geared at raising consumer awareness of citrus greening. An announcement was made during the Citrus Showcase, California Citrus Mutual’s annual gathering.

The campaign will utilize an educational website and the hashtag #CitrusMatters in social media to educate California homeowners with citrus trees on their property about the important role they play in helping protect California citrus. Given that as many as 60% of California homeowners have citrus trees on their property, reducing the risk of infection from backyard trees to commercial citrus groves is vital to the health of the industry.

Now through September 30, with every share of the #CitrusMatters hashtag, Bayer CropScience will donate $1, up to $25,000, to California Citrus Mutual in support of prevention, detection, and research on HLB.

Although HLB has only been found in one tree in California that has since been removed, the Asian citrus psyllid has been found in 15 California counties.

“Commercial citrus growers are already taking preventative action against HLB, but their groves will be threatened if the disease infects residential areas,” said Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual.