POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Florida’s orange crop will be several million 90-pound boxes smaller than first predicted this season. However, even that number shows a modest comeback for the citrus industry devastated by the citrus greening plant disease and Hurricane Irma.
- Florida citrus industry seeing modest comeback
- This season like to see nearly 73 million boxes
- Numbers dropped in past seasons due to Irma, greening plant disease
- Facts about Florida oranges and citrus
At its peak in the 2003-04 season, Florida growers harvested 242 million boxes of oranges. A couple of seasons ago before Hurricane Irma that number had dropped to 68 million. The number dropped again to 44 million after Hurricane Irma destroyed about half the crop.
Thankfully, this season the number will be up to nearly 73 million boxes. Some Polk County growers believe better farming techniques are helping trees prosper despite greening.
Matthew Story said his family’s business is using a new blend of liquid fertilizer with micronutrients.
“These trees are very resilient,” he said. “And they have battled back and they have given us another good crop which is great.”
Story said the owners of some groves his company manages have not opted to spend the money on the liquid fertilizer delivered by micro jets at the base of the trees. He said those trees don’t do as well.
“Well we are seeing a lot of die back in the stem which shows we are not getting the proper nutrition to it," he said.
Story said growers who still have thriving trees should have had a good season and could have an even better 2019-20 season.