Citrus canker causes concern for Florida growers

Following the hurricanes that hit the state last year, citrus canker has been found in several areas where it had previously been eliminated. At this stage, it is not known if the canker has spread to groves, or is just limited to residential trees. Since the current outbreak of canker was discovered in Florida in 1995, about 670,000 residential trees and 1.7 million commercial trees have been destroyed under the eradication programme. Florida's citrus industry is worth $9 billion and is considered the state's second-largest industry after tourism.