The first Citrus Crop Forecast for Florida’s 2019-20 season has been released by the USDA; see reactions of industry leaders.
The first Citrus Crop Forecast for Florida’s 2019-20 season was released on October 10th by the USDA. The forecast is always met with much interest and speculation, especially in the face of citrus greening and past hurricane damage. This year’s USDA citrus forecast estimates 74 million boxes of Florida oranges for the 2019-20 season, which is up 3 percent from last year’s total of 71.7 million boxes of citrus harvested. Similarly, forecasts from citrus economist Elizabeth Steger estimated the orange crop at 73 million boxes. See industry reactions below.
Industry Reactions to the 2019-20 Citrus Crop Forecast
Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried said, per a Citrus Industry article: “Today’s forecast reflects the resilience of Florida’s citrus growers, dedication to the citrus industry and commitment to innovation in the face of challenges. Citrus is Florida’s signature crop, and we’re committed to supporting our citrus producers with new research, technology and techniques to fight the spread of citrus greening. Strengthening our citrus industry takes teamwork, and Florida Citrus Mutual has been essential in helping identify research funding and thinking outside the box to support and promote Florida-grown citrus.”
Mike Sparks, Executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, said in a Growing Produce article: “This incremental increase is good news for the industry as we continue to recover from Hurricane Irma and the devastating effects of citrus greening. We believe that this number – if it holds throughout the year – will strike a nice balance of getting the processors the oranges they need while firming up prices to the Florida citrus grower.”
Grower sentiment is high at the moment, and hopefully that sentiment will continue throughout the season.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.