More Severe Weather Events Putting a Squeeze On Citrus Crops

Citrus growers representing both southern corners of the U.S. rarely escape some type of severe weather. And 2024 was no exception. In Florida and Georgia, growers dealt with up to three significant hurricanes — Helene, Milton, and Debby — in addition to the usual frosts and freezes.

“Hurricane Helene should say it all,” a Georgia mandarin grower says, referring to the Category 4 storm that hit the Big Bend region of Florida on Sept. 26, eventually evolving into the deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005.

“I was impacted by two hurricanes and freezing temperatures,” a fellow Georgia citrus grower says. “One hurricane we got close to 20 inches of rain to be followed a month later by a second hurricane with damaging winds that blew trees over and broke limbs. It blew about one-fifth of the fruit off and onto the ground.

Par for the course in the Southeast. “We had a hard time spraying for several days due to water and wind,” the grower adds. “We can’t get insurance on citrus, and if we could, it’s way too expensive, and you’re willing to chance the weather.”

“Weather has taken our last three years of production,” a Florida orange grower says.

Over in California, citrus growers had to deal with high winds and either too little or too much rain.

“100 mph Santa Ana winds destroyed the plastic covering on greenhouses,” a California orange, mandarin, and grapefruit grower says.

“Flooding was the probable cause for losing around 100 young fruit trees,” a California Valencia orange grower says, tying together three of the top operational issues currently plaguing farmers across the country. “Our orchard is on a dry creek. Heavy rains can flood or wash away parts of the orchard, which results in increased overhead for debris removal and bank reconstruction. And labor costs keep rising as California keeps imposing onerous wage rules that often result in hurting workers and employers.”

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Click here to check out more insights from the 2025 State of the Fruit and Nut Industry report.