California Citrus Program

1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814  •  916-900-5030  •  standardization@cdfa.ca.gov
Oranges, Lemons on a tree, Lemons, Oranges hanging from a tree

In 2005 the California Citrus Industry sponsored legislation establishing a continued inspection program pertaining to the standards for orange maturity and citrus freeze damage. The legislation also allows funding for the Department to provide the citrus industry with a state crop estimating service and an acreage survey. The citrus commodities that are affected by this legislation are Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, lemons, and mandarin citrus varieties. The new legislation amends the legislation developed in 1994 that established the original program (the Navel and Valencia Program).

The purpose of this program is to protect the industry and the general public from substandard product and to ensure that the established minimum maturity and quality standards are met, as well as to provide the industry with current and accurate data regarding the State's citrus acreage and citrus crop information.

The California Citrus Advisory Committee’s purpose is to oversee the implementation of the inspection program and oversee crop and acreage survey work performed through NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service). This committee also makes recommendations to the Secretary on matters pertaining to their industry. The committee is comprised of 12 voting members who are handlers and producers of citrus in California.

Legislation specifies inspection programs are to be conducted in nine counties by county agricultural commissioners. The nine counties are: Fresno, Kern, Madera, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Tulare, and Ventura.

Funding for this program is based on a mil fee assessed on the total weight received of oranges, mandarin citrus varieties and lemons. The assessments collected are used to cover county agricultural commissioners’ costs for the inspection program, maintain a reserve to be used in the event of a freeze and provide funding for NASS to perform acreage and crop surveys.

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