Florida citrus growers deal with less production

Estimates from the USDA Agricultural Statistics Board in July put the 2013-2014 Florida orange crop at 104.4 million boxes, which is a steep drop from the previous season's production. It's expected that this season's orange crop will be 30 million boxes smaller than what was harvested during the 2012-2013 season. Though there are several factors that have contributed to what will most likely be a smaller crop this season, the biggest one seems to be the citrus greening disease growers are battling.

“Depending on which estimates you look at from independent consultants, this could conceivably be the smallest orange crop in 52 years,” said David Brocksmith of Seald Sweet International. He added that it's a balancing act growers have to do with battling the disease, which increases production costs and, ultimately, the prices consumers pay, and maintaining Florida citrus as a top produce items.

“You don't want to chase away the consumer, but this is going to raise prices,” said Brocksmith. “We still have very healthy demand around the world for Florida citrus, and there's still a large market to serve, but people will have to pay more for it.” Grapefruit production is also expected to take a dip, with this season's volume expected to reach 15.7 million boxes. If accurate, that would be smaller than the 2012-2013 crop by 2.7 million boxes.

“Less production will certainly affect our two major export markets, the Pacific Rim and Europe,” noted Brocksmith. “We're recognized as the better grapefruit in those two markets, and we want to hold on to our market share, but price points will have to be higher because of increased production costs. It will be a balancing act how the grower can make a profit and keep the consumer happy with a price point at which the consumer can continue to purchase product.”

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David Brocksmith

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