A booming Florida real estate market has led many growers to conclude it would be more profitable to sell their land than to continue to cultivate citrus. The number of acres dedicated to growing oranges in Florida has declined by more than half since 2000, to just over 300,000 this year, according to a preliminary US Department of Agriculture report.
Florida has been shifting away from its agricultural roots for years, driven by a changing state economy, swings in the weather and shifting consumer tastes. The emergence of greening, an incurable bacterial disease caused by the invasive Asian citrus psyllid, has quickened the long-term erosion of the state’s citrus industry. Greening has reduced Florida’s citrus production by 75% since 2005, according to the USDA, and the number of growers dropped by 62% from 2002 to 2017. Replacing diseased trees can take years, and for strapped farmers, selling land instead can help generate needed funds.
Source: bnnbloomberg.ca
