Californian giant Paramount Citrus has joined forces with California State University to help develop a trained work force for the state's US$1.6 billion citrus industry.
Paramount provided US$200,000 to help create the programme at the Advanced Teaching and Research Field Laboratory for Citriculture in Fresno.
The money was used to develop an 8ha citrus property that has recently been completed, the Fresno Bee reported.
The farm uses the latest in water-saving irrigation, will supply citrus to an on-campus market and provide research opportunities.
As part of the programme, Paramount also funds a citrus fellowship that provides a student with the experience of tending the campus grove and working at S&J Ranches in Madera, a division of Paramount Farms.
'The industry has been lacking people with management skills, technical ability and who know the art of citriculture,' said Kevin Olsen, vice-president of S&J Ranches.
'We really need people who can function in this industry.'
Paramount Citrus farms about 12,140ha of clementine mandarins, navel and Valencia oranges, lemons and other citrus varieties.
Mr Olsen said the citrus industry is growing but faces the challenge of how to remain profitable as production costs continue to rise.
Speaking at a citrus growers conference in Australia this month, Paramount vice-president Dr Etienne Rabe echoed these sentiments.
“In California, like everywhere else in the world, there’s a dearth of technical capacity coming through of people to service the citrus grower,” he said.
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