BARTOW – The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected a decrease for Florida Orange and Grapefruit production, in an announcement Tuesday.
The USDA predicted Florida Orange production at 69.65 million boxes, a 350,000 box decrease over April’s forecast. Florida Grapefruit production decreased from 5.2 to 4.9 million boxes for the 2019-20 season.
“As we near the end of harvest, this is really a reconciliation of what has been utilized. We remain hopeful that the Valencia production will stay on par with current projections,” said Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus.
About the Florida Department of Citrus
The Florida Department of Citrus is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. Its activities are funded by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels. The industry employs 50,000 people, provides an annual economic impact of $7.2 billion to the state, and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that help support Florida’s schools, roads and health care services. For more information about the Florida Department of Citrus, please visit FloridaCitrus.org.
