US: Florida citrus industry remains positive amid productive decline

Published May 20, 2024

Tridge summary

The latest USDA report reveals a 5% decrease in Florida orange production for May 2024, with a total of 17.8 million boxes expected. This is due to a significant drop in Valencia orange and grapefruit production by 8% and 10% respectively. Despite these challenges, growers are optimistic about the industry's future recovery. They have implemented effective treatments for citrus greening and are encouraged by gradual signs of improvement. The current forecast is higher than the previous season's end, but only 7.2% of the peak industry production.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus estimate for May 2024 shows a 5% decline in all Florida orange production since April. The state's producers remain hopeful that the industry will recover after a difficult 2023, where volumes fell to historic levels. However, this month's orange projection is higher than the 15.85 million boxes produced at the end of the 2022-2023 season. The report shows that the decrease is mainly due to lower production of both Valencia oranges and grapefruit. Production of the former fell 8%, and the forecast dropped 1 million boxes to 11.0 million boxes. The grapefruit estimate remains at 1.80 million boxes, although all production of the fruit is down 10%. Florida citrus growers are expected to harvest 17.8 million boxes of oranges this season. According to Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida's citrus industry is making notable progress in increasing production over last year. Matt Joyner, executive vice president and CEO of the entity, ...

Source: Comitedecitricos