TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The amount of land in Florida dedicated to citrus cultivation continues to decline, according to recent reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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The state saw a 17% reduction in citrus land from 2023, leaving 274,705 acres still in production, down from 332,256 acres last year.
Despite this, the value of the harvest during the 2023-2024 growing season increased by 6% compared to the previous year, even as the industry faces numerous challenges. These include residential and commercial expansion, international competition, and the devastating effects of hurricanes and citrus greening disease.
Hendry County experienced the largest acreage loss, with a reduction of 12,374 acres, while Polk County, which has the most commercial citrus acreage in the state, saw a decrease from 60,131 to 58,516 acres.
Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, remains optimistic about the industry’s future. He emphasized that the industry is still “unbelievably viable,” with growers focusing on current “tree health” and the potential for replanting. “A lot of these acres that we’re seeing lost are not lost for good,” Joyner said.
Hurricane Ian, which struck in September 2022, caused significant damage to key citrus-growing areas, further impacting the industry. The early stages of the 2024-2025 season are not expected to show a substantial increase in the overall harvest.
“My guess is that we may be somewhere net flat in terms of overall boxes (of citrus),” Joyner commented. “I think what we’ll see is better production per acre.”
READ: Florida citrus growers end troubled season, worst in nearly a century
In addition to acreage losses, some citrus growers have begun selling underperforming groves. Alico, Inc., a major Fort Myers-based citrus grower, reported selling 780 acres of such groves for $7 million, with an option to sell an additional 680 acres.
Even with the decline in land use, citrus remains a significant part of Florida’s agricultural economy, accounting for about 9% of cash receipts, trailing only plants for gardens, greenhouses, nurseries, landscaping, and sugarcane.
Joyner expressed confidence in the industry’s resilience, stating, “The industry can again be the powerhouse that it has always been.” He added that citrus remains one of the top commodities in the state, despite the challenges it faces.
The 2023-2024 season closed with the harvest of 17.96 million boxes of oranges, a slight increase from the previous season but still far below historical levels. Grapefruit production fell to 1.79 million boxes, marking the first time in 110 years that production dropped below 2 million boxes.
Specialty crops also saw a decline, with only 450,000 boxes produced, the lowest number since this category was first tracked separately in the 1919-1920 season.
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