I found this article posted on another forum and thought some of you might want to read it
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070218/BUSINESS/702180325/1003

I hope for Florida's Citrus industry, these things work out. It sounds exciting enough. Wouldn't you love to get hold of some of THAT budwood!?
Darren

Well, more power to them! I hope they achieve it.

Perhaps it is time to learn BIG MISTAKES in the industry too. Take for example the perfect grapefruit geared towards the sweet tongues of Americans. Indeed we made such grapefruit, called Oro Blanco. There were too much fanfare in the introduction, too many high expectations and too many areas planted.

Then after harvesting and sold to the market, it failed miserably.

Why?

The growers harvested them too early! And so consumers were disappointed. Fail them once, then they won't try again.

I can see the same mistakes are going to happen with whatever perfect citrus they come up with. I hope they harvest it just right when selling in retail so that the expectant public will not be disappointed.

This doesn't affect most of us citrus hobbyists. Whatever variety they come up with, we would welcome them.

I wonder how soon the budwood will be available through FL DPI? I would love to get something that is competitive with the "Oh-so-cute" Spanish clementine-- I have bought at least 50 #s this year.

Valenciaguy, thank you for the article. Just a couple thoughts from the article.

When I first started collecting citrus, my thoughts was to have one tree of each citrus variety. I soon learned that was impossible >>>"We have over 15,000 unique mandarin varieties in research groves between different breeding programs,"<<<

Below certainly shows human nature.
...."Before they had to deal with citrus canker, which is now endemic, and citrus greening, which was detected in 2005, growers wanted researchers to test new varieties for years and years Today they're clamoring for fruit that resists the two bacterial diseases, and they can't get it fast enough."....

As far as Clementine, I think the taste quality has gone down sense introduction, they do not seem as sweet as when first introduced. I agree with the post that Americans have become bored with toady's offerings.
Millet

I agree with you millet about how people are getting bored with the offering, but most groceries (especially in Canada) offer mainly Navel Orange and and berass lime, and the common lemons. There is barely a store that has a diverse selection compared to what you and some other members have i there personal collection. Ex. I have never seen ponderosa lemon, all the blood except Moro, and I can't even start on the mandarins.

You would think that the high end grocers (Bristol farms, Whole Foods, Gelson's, etc) would stock things like Kaffir Lime, Yuzu, Different Blood Oranges, Even here in California you have a hard time getting a meyer lemon. They could probably charge a fortune for them in the right areas. I paid $3.99/lb for a few moro's a year ago. I have a hi end grocer as a customer and I will ask the fruits and vegetable manager why they don't try this...