California Citrus Mutual (CCM) has released estimates for the losses suffered by growers in the San Joaquin Valley following the weeklong freeze that struck the area in early December. According to the organisation’s calculations around US$441m of revenue was lost in total. This included US$150m in losses to mandarins, most of which had yet to be harvested when the cold snap hit. CCM said around 40 per cent of the remaining fruit was lost to frost damage.
In oranges, approximately 30 per cent of remaining fruit was damaged, equivalent to a loss of US$260m of losses, CCM said, while around 20 per cent of the lemon crop with a value of US24m was also lost.
CCM chairman Kevin Severns said the reason behind the delay in releasing the estimates was that the freeze had not affected groves uniformly. “What has made this year complicated for assessing damage is that Mother Nature did not treat all areas and producers equally,” he said. “There are areas in Kern and Madera Counties where the mandarins are completely wiped out, and others where damage is as great as 40-50 per cent.”
CCM estimates that growers spent US$49m to protect their groves through the use of wind machines to raise temperatures.
