FL Orange Production At 6.5% Of Historic Peak; Storm Damage, Heat, Incurable Citrus Greening Disease

[hatrack]

Orange juice prices are expected to rise further in the US after a bacterial disease and extreme weather intensified by global heating ravaged this season’s crop of the citrus fruit. Last year Florida, which produces more than 90% of the US’s orange juice supply, was hit by Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Nicole and freezing conditions in quick succession, devastating orange producers in the Sunshine State.

Producers also battled an incurable citrus greening disease that is spread by an invasive insect, rendering fruit unusable. Most infected trees die within a few years, and some producers told the Financial Times they were giving up farming and selling their land. Industry figures said US orange production would reach its lowest level for more than a century. And futures prices for frozen concentrated orange juice on the Intercontinental Exchange, the global benchmark which is strongly linked to production in Florida, have roughly doubled in the last year to more than $3 a pound and could rise further, prompting warnings that prices are set to surge further on the shelves.

Matt Joyner, chief executive of Florida Citrus Mutual, a grower trade association, said: “At its height, our industry was doing about 244m boxes of oranges. This season we ended up with just under 16m boxes. “You can see that is a very dramatic decline as a result of this disease and multiple weather events that really hammered our industry. Supply and demand dictates that with such a reduced crop, there will be upwards pressure on prices.”

EDIT

Spain, Portugal, France and Italy are all taking measures to stop the spread of the bacteria Candidatus liberibacter that causes citrus greening, also known as yellow dragon disease. The impact of extreme weather on food production is one of the major risks of global heating, with coffee, olives and rice among some of the crops affected.

EDIT/END

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/11/ravaged-orange-crop-in-florida-raises-fears-of-surge-in-us-juice-prices-aoe

[Lovie777]

1. Of course..................

Last edited Wed Aug 16, 2023, 10:06 AM - Edit history (1)

warming of the oceans, atmosphere. Wars, distrust, food shortages. Mother nature is pissed.

As to Florida, diseases are on the rise, probably same in other states.

As humans, yes us, who have the means to work together as a species to try and rectify this matter, but oh noes, humans rather destroy one another all for that $$.

[Chainfire]

2. After a very warm Fall and early Winter, in N. Fl., my citrus trees, full of fruit, were destroyed,

killed graveyard dead, by a very cold snap at Christmas. (temps in the teens) That is why the call it climate change.

Thank goodness these were just hobby trees, so I didn't take an economic hit. It did, however, hurt my feelings and I will miss my supply of the fruit. What I am dreading is the next hurricane that comes our way over the hot ocean; it could be a real doozy.

[Think. Again.]

3. Yep...

....climate chaos is just starting to wreak havoc on agriculture.

Well, agriculture and everything else, too.

[kimbutgar]

4. My mother in law has an orange tree in her backyard in Phoenix

It no longer produces oranges because the hot weather destroyed it.