This news release from Florida Citrus Mutual. Stay tuned to this website for comments from Candi Erick at the Florida Agriculture Statistics Service about this final forecast of the season, including what is being done to look into wide variations in forecast numbers in the specialty fruit sections of the forecasts this season.
LAKELAND, Fla. (Florida Citrus Mutual, July 10, 2009) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture raised Florida’s 2008-09 orange crop estimate by 2.5 million boxes to 162.1 million boxes in its final citrus forecast.
“Another Florida citrus season is over and once again Florida growers produced a high quality crop,” said Michael W. Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “We are certainly facing some challenges as an industry but we remain a powerful economic engine supporting many communities particularly in Florida’s interior. With the overall economy sagging, citrus – and agriculture in general – becomes even more important.”
The USDA said the increase is comprised entirely of Valencias, which is now estimated at 77.5 million boxes. Early and midseason varieties are final at 84.6 million boxes.
Visit www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/Publications/Citrus/cpfp.htm for the complete USDA estimate. The USDA makes the initial forecast in October and then revises it monthly until the end of the season in July.
In 2007-2008, Florida harvested 170.2 million boxes of oranges.
The USDA reduced the Florida grapefruit projection by 100,000 boxes to 21.7 million for the 2008-2009 season. Colored grapefruit stayed at 15.1 million while white grapefruit was down the 100,000 boxes to 6.6 million.
Florida specialty fruit saw no change with tangelos holding steady at 1.15 million boxes and tangerines at 3.9 million boxes. The yield for from-concentrate orange juice (FCOJ) held steady at an average of 1.66 gallons per 90-pound box.
The Florida citrus industry creates a $9.3 billion annual economic impact, employing nearly 76,000 people, and covering more than 576,000 acres. Founded in 1948 and currently representing nearly 8,000 grower members, Florida Citrus Mutual is the state’s largest citrus grower organization. For more information, visit www.flcitrusmutual.com.
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