Florida Citrus Mutual CEO and senior vice president Matt Joyner says there is ‘no doubt’ that orange production and orange prices will increase in the coming weeks.
Citrus crops across the Sunshine State are in a world of hurt, as a series of hurricanes and one of the worst crop diseases plagues oranges and their prices.
“Milton came to the heart of the state and impacted about 70% of Florida’s most productive citrus acreage,” Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Matt Joyner said on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast,” Tuesday.
“We’ve been struggling, three hurricanes in the last seven years, and the fight against citrus, one of the worst known citrus diseases in the world in the last two decades, has definitely put the industry back on its heels.”
New estimates from the US Department of Agriculture show that Florida’s orange crop was struggling before Hurricane Milton, and this storm is expected to exacerbate the challenges farmers are now facing.
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According to the agency’s October survey, growers are expected to produce just 15 million boxes of oranges in the 2024-2025 season – a figure that represents a 16 percent drop compared to last year.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated Florida’s citrus crop. (Getty Images)
This estimate was calculated before Milton impacted west-central Florida as a Category 3 storm, affecting the region’s largest citrus producers. The state’s orange season runs from October to June with peak harvest in December to May, while grape season runs from September to June with peak harvest in February.
Joyner told FOX Business’ Neil Cavuto that there is “no doubt” orange and orange juice prices would rise under these conditions.
“These trees will continue to lose fruit for the next week or so. But we’ve seen a large number of oranges from the beginning of the year, especially, but this year’s crop has already been hit. So we know we’re going to continue to see a little bit of that fruit loss over time,” he explained.
Hosts Veronica Nigh and Matt Joyner discuss Hurricane Milton’s damage to citrus farms on ‘The Bottom Line.’
“That will have an impact on what we will be able to bring to harvest this year,” continued the CEO. “And certainly, not only [is] the impact is here in Florida, but what are the global barriers to oranges around the world that will continue to have an upward effect on prices.”
According to the Florida Citrus Industry, all of Florida’s citrus-producing counties were affected during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Many harvesters reported losses of 30 to 70 percent, and initial damage was estimated at more than $700 million.
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Data from the US Department of Agriculture lists the variety of citrus yields across Florida. (FOX Business)
Less than a decade later, the University of Florida’s Economic Impact Analysis Program estimated agricultural losses from Hurricane Ian in 2022 at nearly $1 billion. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that both orange juice and orange concentrate are hovering near record highs at $4.23 per 12 ounces.
“We’re trying to focus on what we’re dealing with right now. There’s not much we can do to affect the storm if it hits us,” Joyner said. “So we’re just dealing here and now.”
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FOX Weather’s Andrew Wulfeck contributed to this report.
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