Florida orange growers are on track to yield their smallest crop in nearly 90 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Following a particularly brutal storm season, growers are expected to produce about 15.65 million boxes of oranges, the department reports. In addition to being down from the 16.1 million boxes projected in April, that figure marks the lowest yield since the 1934-1935 growing season, experts say. By comparison, more than 41 million boxes of oranges were produced last year – and even that number was down from previous seasons.
Matt Joyner, the CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, says the news marks “the end of a difficult harvest season,” adding there’s nowhere to go but up. “There are many reasons for Florida growers to be optimistic about the comeback of Florida’s signature crop,” Joyner says. “New treatment methods applied this season are proving effective.”
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