Citrus Industry California

Instead of the 400 people who showed up each day last spring for family food boxes at the Lindsay-Strathmore Coordinating Council, the numbers have dwindled to 137 or 90--even 50 on a really good day. "Things are getting better," says Paulina Galvez, who works for the council. "A lot of families might still need the help, but as soon as they start work, they're so happy, they stop coming. Sometimes they even come in and tell us they won't be coming anymore." On Dec.

Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday proclaimed disaster areas in 13 more California counties, including Los Angeles, bringing the total to 31, or more than half the state. The governor also formally petitioned President Bush to declare a federal state of emergency in the freeze-plagued counties, so that farmers can apply for low-interest federal loans to recoup losses from the two-week cold snap.

California growers, harvesting an exceptionally large crop of unusually small Valencia oranges, intend to put the squeeze on the nation's consumers this summer to make more fresh juice at home. Sunkist Growers, which markets more than half the state's citrus crop, intends to work with supermarket chains to promote greater use of this year's flood of small Valencia oranges, President Russell L. Hanlin, said Wednesday.

The discovery of three more Mediterranean fruit flies in Lake Forest has prompted state officials to quarantine a segment of South County and announce plans to release 5.5 million sterile medflies in the area every week until the problem is solved. "We consider this a minor infestation," said Kevin Herglotz, a spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. "Any time we find a medfly, however, we are concerned because of the devastation that these pests can cause in our state."

December's freeze packed a $634-million punch for California's farm industry, agricultural officials said Friday in revising upward their earlier damage estimates. Separately, Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency in Monterey and Kings counties because of the cold weather. Last week, outgoing Gov. Pete Wilson issued a similar proclamation for Fresno, Kern, Madera and Tulare counties.

The Clinton administration on Friday declared 18 counties in California disaster areas, allowing farmers to receive federal aid after their crops suffered $657 million in damage in a cold snap last month. The disaster designation allows farmers to apply for low-interest government loans.

In the dispute over the off-and-on quotas for selling navel oranges and lemons, some independent growers and fruit handlers are asking that the quotas be lifted once more. James A. Moody, an attorney representing two groups of California and Arizona citrus growers and handlers, said Tuesday he will go to court today to ask a Washington judge to reverse a decision made last week. On Dec. 17, U.S. District Judge Gerherd Gesell issued a temporary restraining order barring the U.S.