Citrus growers in Florida are still assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton. Much of the area hit by Milton is responsible for the citrus production in the U.S.

Florida

Hurricane Milton has made landfall as a Category Three system, causing tornadoes and widespread damage across parts of Florida.

Hurricane Milton

Florida's citrus growers are facing significant challenges as they assess the damage left by Hurricane Milton. Videos from growers in the state reveal that many premature oranges were knocked off trees by strong winds, leading to considerable crop losses. The storm hit some of Florida's most productive citrus areas, including the five largest growing counties, which accounted for 69% of the state's citrus production last year.

The timing of Hurricane Milton's impact is particularly difficult for growers, who were hoping for a recovery year following the damage caused by Hurricane Ian in the previous year. Unfortunately, the effects of this storm could linger, as experts caution that it may take two to three years for the trees to fully recover. The USDA's latest forecast, which does not account for damages from Milton, already shows a 16% decrease in citrus production from the previous year.

Even before the hurricane, Florida's citrus industry was contending with a serious plant disease known as citrus greening, which has affected 90% of crops used for orange juice production. Despite these challenges, Matt Joyner, CEO of the Florida Citrus Mutual, remains optimistic about the resilience of Florida's farmers. Joyner emphasizes that abandoning the profession is not likely due to the excellent soil quality, and growers are determined to restore their crops to pre-storm levels.



Florida's citrus growers left scrambling after Hurricane Milton

Spared by Hurricane Helene, Florida's Citrus Belt is still waiting to see the true extent of Milton's damage after a rip through the south central part of the state Wednesday night. Videos provided to Scripps News from growers in the state show many premature oranges strewn across the ground rendered useless after strong winds from Milton knocked them off trees. If you look at the path of this storm it came across some of our most productive citrus acreage in the state. Matt Joyner is the CEO of the Florida Citrus Mutual, the state's largest trade association, and he says what he's seen from growers is not promising. Florida's five largest growing counties, which accounted for 69 percent of the state's citrus production last year, lay right in the middle of Milton's path. The damage comes at a particularly difficult time as growers were looking for a bounce back year after Hurricane Ian damaged crops in 2022. This is really a multi-year event. We know from, unfortunately, past storms that these trees are gonna take a good two to three years to recover. On Friday, the USDA announced its forecast for this year's harvest, not including damages from Milton, which shows production across the state down 16 percent from last year. In 2023, Florida made up 17 percent of the nation's citrus supply, down from 63 percent just over a decade prior. So nationwide effects from Milton may be tempered, but that doesn't change the outlook for the nearly 2,000 growers who rely on these crops for their livelihood. Milton comes as these growers have already spent years battling a plant disease, citrus greening, that has spread to 90 percent of the state's crops used to become orange juice. You know, we're not a row crop where we can just plow under and start over the next year. We obviously have to continue to nurture these trees and get them back to pre-storm production, and that's gonna be losses that will accrue to the growers over the next few seasons, unfortunately. Joyner says he doesn't expect this blow to drive growers away from the profession, despite the tough few years. He says the soil is some of the best in the country for these crops, and the resilience among Florida's farmers remains strong.

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Hurricane Milton