Federal rule frustrates growers of 'lucky' fruit

By Susan Salisbury

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Without the kumquat, the end-of-year holidays wouldn't be as festive, and the Chinese New Year wouldn't be as lucky.

But the tiny golden-yellow to reddish-orange fruit is running into some bad luck itself. Although it's highly resistant to citrus canker, it's on the wrong side of a federal rule that lumps it in with more susceptible relatives such as the orange, grapefruit and tangerine.

And that means big trouble for Florida's kumquat industry, on the eve of a shipping season that starts Monday.

"The possibility of spreading citrus canker by shipping kumquats to non-citrus-producing states is utterly ridiculous," said Frank Gude, 76, who, individually and as a partner, owns 17 acres of kumquat groves in Dade City. "Approximately 40 percent of the kumquats that are marketed in Florida are sold with leaves and stems to non-citrus-producing states."

The federal rule instituted on an interim basis earlier this year bars Florida citrus growers from shipping fruit to California and four other citrus-growing states, but allows it to be sent to the rest of the country. The trouble for the kumquat is that the rule also prohibits the shipping of any citrus leaves or stems north of the Suwanee River - and it's precisely those leaves and stems that are so important at this time of year.

The fruit and its glossy leaves are a popular decoration for Thanksgiving and Christmas and on through New Year's celebrations.

Florida's kumquat industry is centered in the Pasco County community of St. Joseph, considered the world's "Kumquat Capital," and consists of nine growers who harvest their fruit from November through March. Last season, they shipped 350 tons of the fruit, about 17 million kumquats.

Kumquats have been marketed with the stems and leaves for the holidays since the 1920s, growers say. Except for fresh market kumquats, eaten whole with the peel for a sweet-sour sensation, there's little other demand for kumquats, such as juice.

The fruit, however, is often used as a garnish or to make jams, sauces, chutney, cakes, pies and cookies.

During the Chinese New Year, it's common for hosts to offer kumquats to their guests. The more fruit there is on the branch, the better the recipient's financial outlook for the coming year.

"If you have a party, you offer your friends a kumquat," said Gude, whose Kumquat Growers Inc. has annual sales of half a million dollars. "If they take it and eat it, it's supposed to be good luck for you and them."

Bill Taubenfeld, a buyer for B.T. Produce in New York City, purchases hundreds of thousands of Florida kumquats each season.

"My big customers are the Chinese. Kumquats with leaves and stems is one item they use," he said. "The whole thing about the celebration is that it has to have the leaves and stems."

Florida Department of Agriculture officials have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make an exception to the rule for kumquat leaves. Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Craig Meyer said USDA officials will not confirm whether they are considering any substantive changes.

"We think they are giving some consideration to helping the kumquat. We have heard nothing definitive," Meyer said.

USDA spokesman Jim Rogers said he has no idea when the final shipping rule might be published or if any changes will be made.

Meyer said the state thinks there is "no danger" of spreading canker through kumquats.

"None of this is going to go outside. It is all used for decorations, mostly table decorations," he said. "We have not yet found canker in any of the kumquat groves. We don't think there is any reason not to allow these guys to ship."

Kumquats are actually a relative of citrus rather than the genuine article; it's classified under the genus Fortunella, not genus Citrus.

According to the USDA and researchers at the University of Florida, kumquats are the least susceptible host for citrus canker, and there have been no known cases of canker in kumquats.

But there's hope in the kumquat that extends beyond the ancient belief in its luck-giving properties.

In a project that began about five years ago, UF researchers are seeking to unlock the secrets of the kumquat's canker resistance in hopes of one day transferring it to other citrus varieties, said Gainesville-based citrus geneticist Gloria Moore.

Greg Gude, 48, manager at his father's Kumquat Growers, said it could be that the niche fruit will one day provide the answers that keep oranges and grapefruits canker-free.

"The kumquat could end up being the savior of the citrus industry," Gude said.

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Kumquat facts

Background: The kumquat was a member of the Citrus genus until 1915, when they were reclassified under the genus Fortunella, which embraces six Asiatic species.

Origin of name: The name'kumquat' comes from the Mandarin words for 'golden orange.' For the Chinese New Year, the fruit is renamed "gold luck."

Characteristics:Fruit is oval-oblong or round, five-eighths to 112 inches in diameter and between 1 and 2 inches long with a golden-yellow to reddish-orange peel. The peel is thin and sweet, and the fruit's pulp is zesty and tart. It can be eaten 'skin and all,' like a grape. Of the four varieties, the most commonly grown in the U.S. is the oval Nagami.

Uses: Kumquats are used in cooking and for marmalades and jellies. Its dark green leaves and brilliant orange fruit make it very decorative.

Hardiness: The tree is highly resistant and possibly immune to citrus canker and is also cold-tolerant, withstanding temperatures as low as 28 degrees.

History: Kumquats have been grown commercially in Pasco County in Central Florida since 1895.

Sources: Kumquat Growers Inc., Dade City; Fruits of Warm Climates, by Julia F. Morton