Squeeze Play in Latest Florida Citrus Crop Forecast

Posted by Paul Rusnak|December 10, 2020

It doesn’t matter what year it is and what’s going on in the world. When it comes to estimating Florida’s citrus crop, expect a ride with multiple twists and turns. The 2020-2021 Florida citrus season might be still young, but the first turn in the road has come with the latest crop forecast from USDA.

Forecasters have deducted 1 million boxes of oranges from the initial outlook released in October, dropping the total of early, mid-season varieties (Hamlin and Navel) to 22 million boxes. That, combined with the currently static Valencia number (34 million), comes to an all-orange total of 56 million boxes. Last season’s orange crop topped out at just less than 68 million boxes.

Grapefruit stats also felt a little squeeze. All grapefruit production is now at 4.4 million boxes, down 2% from October’s forecast.

Shannon Shepp, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Citrus, remains optimistic about the numbers and knows the season has a long way to go. “With consumer demand for orange juice up year over year, growers are diligently working to produce every box of citrus they can in an effort to continue to supply Americans with the healthy and delicious beverage they seek.”

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried echoed Shepp’s sentiment in a prepared statement following the forecast release. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that consumers are seeking to boost their immunity, turning to the health benefits that Florida citrus. With citrus as a powerful source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber, Florida’s citrus growers are working hard to fulfill market demand for oranges, grapefruit, and specialty citrus. With these projections in line with an expected smaller 2020-21 citrus crop, we at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stand ready to support our proud citrus growers with research, innovation, and partnership.”