Florida citrus growers might squeeze out a few more boxes of oranges than expected as they approach the end of the worst growing season in decades. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday released an updated forecast for the season that included a slight increase in the estimate for oranges. The forecast estimated growers will fill 11.63 million 90-pound boxes of oranges, up from an 11.6 million estimate in April.
The new estimate for oranges is about 35 percent lower than the 18.06 million boxes filled during the 2024-2025 season, which was the lowest since the 1935-1936 season. Orange production is on pace to be lowest since the 1931-1932 season.
The new forecast showed growers filling 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit, the same as in an April estimate. Also, estimates of lemons stayed at 600,000 boxes and tangerines and mandarins stayed at 400,000. Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President and CEO Matt Joyner said he remains hopeful that lawmakers, who are trying to reach agreement on a new state budget, will approve a Senate proposal to pump about $200 million into the industry. Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican and citrus grower, has made helping the industry a priority.
“Thanks to Senate President Albritton’s bold vision to make citrus great again and the prospect of unprecedented funding from the Legislature to advance research and replanting efforts, there’s hope for revitalizing Florida’s signature crop,” Joyner said in a statement. The Senate proposal includes $125 million to replace trees that have been lost in recent years to storms and deadly citrus greening disease.
–News Service of Florida
