Florida citrus growers might squeeze out a few more boxes of oranges than expected as they approach the end of the worst growing season in decades. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday released an updated forecast for the season that included a slight increase in the estimate for oranges. The forecast estimated growers will fill 11.63 million 90-pound boxes of oranges, up from an 11.6 million estimate in April.
The new estimate for oranges is about 35 percent lower than the 18.06 million boxes filled during the 2024-2025 season, which was the lowest since the 1935-1936 season. Orange production is on pace to be lowest since the 1931-1932 season.
The new forecast showed growers filling 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit, the same as in an April estimate. Also, estimates of lemons stayed at 600,000 boxes and tangerines and mandarins stayed at 400,000. Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President and CEO Matt Joyner said he remains hopeful that lawmakers, who are trying to reach agreement on a new state budget, will approve a Senate proposal to pump about $200 million into the industry. Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican and citrus grower, has made helping the industry a priority.
“Thanks to Senate President Albritton’s bold vision to make citrus great again and the prospect of unprecedented funding from the Legislature to advance research and replanting efforts, there’s hope for revitalizing Florida’s signature crop,” Joyner said in a statement. The Senate proposal includes $125 million to replace trees that have been lost in recent years to storms and deadly citrus greening disease.
–News Service of Florida
Deborah Coffey says
Disease, hurricanes and LABOR COSTS have caused this decline.
AI: “.
The cost of production has increased for growers, including labor costs, the need for pest and disease control, and the impacts of hurricanes. This has made it less profitable to grow citrus, leading some growers to abandon their groves. ”
Answer from Ron DeSantis: Catch more immigrants and get rid of them. You can buy 1 tomato instead of 5.
Ray W, says
The Cool Down reports that the 2024-2025 Brazilian orange harvest (232.38 million 90-pound boxes, down 24.85% from the previous harvest) was the second smallest in the past 37 years, due to prolonged drought, with rainfall down 20%, unusually high temperatures, with temperatures between 3 and 4 degrees Celsius above the 1990-2020 average, citrus greening, increased pest exposure, and a “delayed fourth bloom.”
According to the reporter, citrus farming is water and energy intensive, so any loss in harvest totals represents a waste of investment.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
From the numbers alone, Brazil’s harvest is 10 times that of Florida’s. Domestic OJ prices steadily rise whenever Florida’s yield drops. Brazil’s crop losses will likely reverberate through America.