Last week, the USDA said that Florida's orange crop production will likely plummet to record lows this season thanks to Hurricane Ian. That assessment compounds an already weak citrus production situation in the state. The USDA's forecast said 28 million boxes of Florida oranges would be produced in the 2022-23 season. That would be the lowest output since 1943 and down 32% from last year's already low production of approximately 41 million boxes.
In turn, the price of orange juice, which has already climbed to an all-time high of $2.90 per 12-ounce can because of soaring food inflation, could go even higher.
Florida oranges serve as the feedstock for most orange juice produced in the U.S. The number of Florida oranges available to be used for juice was already near record lows because of the onset of a so-called greening disease, which can cause trees to bear fruit that are smaller and lower in sugar.
The outbreak has prompted some Florida farmers to advocate for the Food and Drug Administration to lower its sugar content standards for juice.
Florida citrus and agriculture struggle post-Hurricane
The thousands of oranges scattered on the ground by Hurricane Ian’s fierce winds are only the start of the disaster for citrus growers. In Florida, more than 375,000 acres (152,000 hectares) in the state are devoted to oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and the like for an industry valued at more than $6 billion annually.
US Senator Marco Rubio appeared at a Florida Citrus Mutual event this week in Zolfo Springs. Rubio said about $3 billion in federal funding is needed to cover costs from loss of crops and trees. And, Rubio told about 500 people at the gathering, it's crucial not to let the storm make agricultural land disappear.
Commissioner Fried calls for USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for 17 Florida counties
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried, an independently-elected member of the Florida Cabinet, visited Lipman Farms in LaBelle, where she announced her request of a US Department of Agriculture Secretarial Disaster Designation for 17 Florida counties impacted last month by Hurricane Ian.
The 17 counties include: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Seminole.
Her request was addressed to Farm Services Administration State Executive Director Deborah Tannenbaum, and noted that while FDACS continues working with our partners as well as stakeholders on a full and complete assessment of damage and loss to the state’s agriculture industry, preliminary data have already determined that these counties meet the USDA required 30% production loss threshold of at least one crop, for Secretarial Disaster Designation eligibility.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
