"ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The federal government is getting involved in the fight against citrus greening disease, in hopes of saving Florida's — and possibly the entire nation's — citrus crop."

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture will announce Thursday that it's creating an 'emergency response framework' to battle citrus greening. It will gather various groups, agencies and experts to coordinate and focus federal research on fighting the disease.

'We really need to be coordinating more effectively within the USDA and more importantly, with the citrus industry and state and local officials,' said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He added that since he came into office in 2009, the agency has spent nearly $250 million on researching and tracking the disease."

Tamara Lush reports for the Associated Press December 12, 2013. [2]