Citrus Reserach and Field Trial Foundation Inc Grants

Participation payments to commercial citrus growers who plant new citrus trees (solid-set or reset, including Citrus Under Protective Screens) in large-scale field trials against HLB (citrus greening) and submit harvest and compliance data for at least six years. The payment is at least $35 per tree, made in three parts: $15 on submission of a paid tree deposit, $10 when planting is confirmed, and $10 after the first annual site verification visit. Replanting of freeze-withdrawn prior-cycle trees may get a reduced rate. Before approving applications, the Board may adjust payment amounts, tree caps, acreage limits and funding caps. Eligible applicants: Applicants must be a commercial citrus grower; the proposed project property may be located in any citrus-producing region in the state of Florida.; Applicants must complete the online application; paper applications are not accepted.; Applicants must be the grower/entity listed by the county property appraiser as the owner of the intended CRAFT project property, must certify total ownership of the proposed project property and must provide Parcel ID information.; A project application for leased land must provide a notarized letter of authorization from the landowner; the lease must be for the full length of the potential CRAFT participation agreement.; Applicants must certify the total number of citrus grove acres they own for property tax purposes (only the applying legal entity's acres if more than one entity is owned).; Multiple applications for different projects on adjacent land from the same landowner/grower are acceptable.; Applications are accepted for any variety of solid-set and reset tree plantings in Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS); to increase reset percentages in current CRAFT New Planting Cycles 1-6 reset projects; to reset replacement trees in Cycle 1-6 solid-set projects to the original design (up to a maximum 5% tree mortality rate); to reset replacement trees in CRAFT ETT Rounds 1-3 projects; and to plant additional trees in parcels already included in Cycle 7 projects.; Applications are accepted only for citrus trees planted on or after August 4, 2025 that are not included in an existing CRAFT Grower Participation Agreement; no application may be submitted for trees planted before August 4, 2025. Trees planted before the Cycle Eight agreement is fully executed are planted at the applicant's own risk.; An application may not be submitted for a grove that was included in a CRAFT Grower Participation Agreement that CRAFT terminated for noncompliance.; Applicants with an existing CRAFT Grower Participation Agreement (New Planting or ETT) must be current with all data submission requirements by October 30, 2026 for their applications to be considered.; Priority may be given to trees previously submitted but not approved in Cycle 7 that have valid tree contracts issued before October 3, 2025, and to trees that will be planted before March 31, 2027 with valid tree contracts and nursery confirmation of tree availability.; Prior-cycle projects that were funded but later withdrawn because of freeze-related tree losses may apply to replace those trees, possibly at a reduced participation payment rate.; All approved projects must be planted by June 30, 2028; any commercially available rootstock/scion combination may be proposed.; Applications must include a proposed tree planting density; a density above 250 trees per acre requires an explanation and is considered case by case.; Applicants must provide an executed tree contract and proof of deposit from a certified tree nursery.; Project groves must follow the UF/IFAS standard methods for planting citrus trees and the minimum production standards in the most recent UF/IFAS Citrus Production Guide.; Project groves must be enrolled in the FDACS BMP Program for Florida Citrus before the application is submitted.; Applicants must have an FDACS Division of Plant Industry Grower/Caretaker Compliance Agreement that includes all project groves.; All project inputs must be applied in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, including FIFRA.; Approved participants must sign and comply with the CRAFT Grower Participation Agreement, submit data (including harvest data) annually for a minimum of six years from planting, accept annual soil/tissue sampling and audit surveys, and keep production records for five years after the contract ends. Failure to submit annual data may bar future participation and require full repayment.; At least 60 percent of Cycle Eight funding is made available to growers with citrus groves of at least 5 acres but less than 2,500 total acres; the remaining funding is then made available to all growers.; Applicants must respond to CRAFT staff within 10 days of contact, or the application may be denied.; The CRAFT Board of Directors conducts a blind review and awards agreements to applications that comply with the rules and best meet program needs and research goals. No …