The U.S. orange crop will plunge to 3.88 million tons this year, down 12 percent from last season, said the USDA on Tuesday in its first forecast of the new crop. Both of the leading orange states would see large reductions: Florida down by 11 percent and California down by 13 percent.
The downturn in Florida, to 47 million boxes, or 2.1 million tons, was due in part to the pandemic, reported the news site Florida Politics. It quoted Shannon Shepp, executive director of the state’s Department of Citrus, as saying, “We hoped for more, but 47 million boxes of oranges demonstrates the resilience, ingenuity, and strength of Florida’s citrus growers and their unwavering commitment to fighting the challenges facing our industry.”
Citrus greening disease has hurt production in recent years.
Orange production in California was forecast by the USDA at 43.5 million boxes, or 1.74 million tons.
The crop in Texas, the No. 3 orange state, was estimated at 550,000 boxes, or 23,000 tons — half of the 2020-21 harvest.
States use different weights for a box of oranges. In Florida, a box weighs 90 pounds. In California, it’s 80 pounds, and in Texas, 85 pounds.