Florida Valencia orange production down 33 percent

Last month, the NASS USDA released a production forecast report for Florida citrus that contained a significant decrease compared to last year across the board for all citrus varieties. Just a month later, an updated report shows how devastating the situation is, particularly for Florida oranges.

Until last month, total Florida orange production was expected to be 24 percent down compared to last year, but now the number is pointing more towards the direction of 30 percent. The total number of boxes is estimated at 69 million, down from 74 million just a few weeks ago.

Valencia oranges seem to be most affected and are now expected to be down as much as one third compared to last year. Production decrease of navels is estimated at 24 percent less than a year ago.

The table below was put together by IFAS Extension from the University of Florida and shows how rapidly the state’s orange production is going down.