The 2024-2025 citrus production season closed with a yield of 14.52 million boxes of citrus in Florida, marking the lowest production since 1919-1920. Orange production decreased by nearly 33% from the previous season, while grapefruit saw a reduction of 27% and tangerines and tangelos were down by 11%.
Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, attributes the decline to citrus greening and hurricanes. "Obviously, that's difficult on the farmer's bottom line as they look to reinvest and rebuild after multiple seasons with hurricanes and other things," shared Joyner. "We need to get our production up, not just for the producer and grower but for the infrastructure this industry supports."
In response, state lawmakers have allocated nearly $140 million to assist growers. This includes funding for research, new disease-resistant trees, grove management, packing equipment, and marketing tools. Florida Senate President Ben Albritton noted the impact of citrus greening, stating, "Over the last 15 or 20 years, we have watched that industry just be pummeled by citrus greening. The state's productivity, going from over 240 million boxes to between 15 and 20 million boxes this year, is prima facie evidence of what the impact of that has been."
Joyner highlighted that the investment in research has improved tree health, and growers are replanting. Despite the reduction, historical trends show the industry's resilience. "The orange is what built this state in a time when nothing else was going on. It still has a 7 billion dollar economic impact on the state of Florida," Joyner stated.
Source: FOX 13 News
