Florida citrus production reaches lowest point in more than 100 years
Citrus season sees historic drop
The USDA says Florida citrus production dropped to its lowest point in more than a century during the 2024-25 season. FOX 13?s Regina Gonzalez reports.
Florida citrus growers produced their smallest output in more than a century during the 2024-25 growing season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2024-25 citrus output?
By the numbers:
The USDA says orange production dropped 32.7% from the 2023-24 season, while grapefruit production declined 27.4%.
Overall, 14.52 million boxes of citrus were produced during the latest season, marking the lowest total since the 1919-20 season, during which 13.928 million boxes were produced.
Oranges on a tree.
By comparison, the industry produced more than 250 million boxes annually in the early 2000s before citrus greening was detected in Florida groves.
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What's to blame for the decline?
Dig deeper:
Florida was hit hard by hurricanes in 2024, including Debby, Helene, and Milton.
Citrus greening disease has had a major long-term impact on production, as well.
The USDA says citrus greening is a bacterial infection of citrus plants and has had a "significant" impact on production in Florida, along with several other states and U.S. territories.
Florida's rapid population growth has led to reductions in citrus crops for decades, too, with residential and commercial developments popping up in areas where citrus groves once stood.
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Help for the citrus industry
This year, Florida lawmakers set aside $124.5 million to help growers recover from the rough season – funding new disease-resistant trees, grove management, and tools to rehabilitate struggling trees.
Florida Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula) is a citrus grower and says the state's investment sends a clear message.
"We hear them. We see them. We know they are important to the state of Florida. They are important to rural Florida, and quite frankly, citrus is important to the DNA of the state," Albritton said.
What's next:
Florida's citrus season typically runs from October through June.
The Source: This story was written with information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and previous FOX 13 News reports. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.