Florida finds in Brazil and Mexico allies to alleviate its orange crisis

Ravaged in recent decades by a crisis in orange production, Florida has tripled its imports of this citrus fruit from Brazil and Mexico to alleviate its shortage, which is due to a mix of natural disasters, pests, and urban expansion. Florida imported last fiscal year over 1.5 billion liters of orange juice—concentrated and unconcentrated—from both countries, compared to the nearly 500 million liters that arrived at its ports between 2020 and 2021, according to the latest available data from the Florida Department of Citrus. Brazil, as the main exporter, and Mexico, in second place, cover up to 90% of the supply to U.S. processors. This is a consequence of the drop in orange juice production in Florida, which has decreased by more than 92% over the last two decades. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the "Sunshine State," whose official emblem is precisely an orange, Florida will produce 15 million boxes of oranges this year, far fewer than the 240 million it ...