Fundecitrus - Fund for Citrus Plant Protection, is an association of citrus producers and processors, whose object is plant sanitary defense.

It was established in 1977 to assist the National Campaign to Eradicate Citrus Canker (CANECC) of the Ministry of Agriculture. Identified in Brazil in 1957, the disease reached the State of São Paulo citriculture region during 1979.

With its own team of agronomists, Fundecitrus began to provide guidelines and instructions to producers on how to prevent the disease and, later, it assumed all the responsibilities to prevent and inspect citrus canker in São Paulo and south region of Minas Gerais.

Fundecitrus partnerships with the federal and state governments to inspect and eradicate Citrus Canker ensured the disease's control.

Along the years Fundecitrus has grown and expanded its activities to the preservation of the health of the largest citrus groves in the world. With the citrus complex progress, Fundecitrus innovated and expanded its action. Further to inspecting and combating citrus canker, it performs and finances scientific research to discover forms to control and handle diseases and pests that affect citrus plantations. It provides instructions to nurserymen / nurserywomen and citrus producers, disseminating the appropriate technology for nursery tree production, and assisting authorities in preparing specific regulations for citrus nursery tree production.

Further to pointing to and arriving at solutions for citriculture sanity problems, Fundecitrus has contributed to form an elite of scientists, who benefit not only the citrus sector but also Brazilian science. Its Center of Disease and Pest Diagnoses, located in Araraquara (State of São Paulo), has leading edge equipment for disease diagnoses. Fundecitrus invests more than R$3 million annually in dozens of its own research projects and in studies carried out by governmental bodies, universities and private institutions. Investments are made not only in researches performed in Brazil. The institution encourages the exchange of information and stimulates researches in partnerships with institutions and scientists from other countries, such as United States, South Africa, Spain, France and Argentina.

The institution provides services, and has the responsibility of transferring information and answering to producers' questions. For this purpose it has 14 Phytosanitary Support Centers and 33 bases, in Regional Offices for Agriculture and Livestock Defense (EDA's). They are strategically distributed in the citrus producing region with agronomists and technicians at the producers' disposal.

Fundecitrus publishes a bi-monthly technical magazine, with up to date information about everything that goes on in citrus production, as well as technical manuals on prevention and treatment of diseases. The magazine, manuals and information on diseases and pests are also available on its website. Its library is connected to many institutions and universities using the web and can be accessed at any time. It's goal is to encourage the exchange of information among scientists and to place Fundecitrus' databank at the interested parties' disposal.

In addition to its more than 30 years of work for Brazilian citriculture, Fundecitrus also invests in social actions, such as Fundecitrus Supplementary Education Centers, in which the institution meets the needs of 650 children and teenagers of the cities of Araraquara and Itápolis, in the State of São Paulo.

For more information on Fundecitrus, please visit the website: www.fundecitrus.com.br