Florida’s citrus growers have made a habit of spending the second week of each month awaiting the latest citrus forecast from the USDA. This month, they were not disappointed. The second forecast of the 2016-17 season actually increased. It was an occurrence that was met with enthusiasm by all. See details of the November 9th release below.
History of Citrus Forecasts
The forecasts issued by the USDA did not use to create the level of interest as they do today, all due to citrus greening. In the early 2000s, Florida’s citrus harvests were usually well over 200 million boxes of citrus, baring damage from hurricanes. Then, the citrus greening bacteria struck, and citrus harvest totals began to fall. Florida citrus growers have been avidly watching USDA monthly forecasts ever since.
The 2015-16 season saw a total of 81.5 million boxes of citrus harvested. This past October 12th, the first forecast of the season was released, predicting 70 million boxes of oranges. Even though it was well below last season’s 81.5 million boxes, many growers were enheartened by the forecast because it was not quite as low as they were fearing it would be.
Second Citrus Forecast Details
The latest forecast was released on November 9th, and it offered a lot to continue to cheer citrus growers. First, the total forecast increased because the forecast for Non-Valencia oranges increased by 2 million boxes to 36 million boxes. Secondly, the forecast for Valencia oranges remained the same at 36 million boxes.
Since citrus greening started to take a toll, Florida’s citrus growers have become used to citrus forecasts that fell month after month. However, increasing citrus forecasts became something of an anomaly last citrus season with three increasing forecasts in a row at the end of the season. Florida citrus producers would surely welcome the return of increasing forecasts. The next forecast is scheduled for December 9th at noon.
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.