The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revealed that the final 2015/16 Florida orange crop estimate stands at 81.5m boxes, which marks a 16 per cent decrease from the previous year's result.
During the 2014/15 season, Florida produced 96.8m boxes of oranges.
Valencia oranges totaled 45.4m boxes while Florida produced 36.1m boxes of Early and Mid-Season varieties.
'The USDA report puts a bow on the 2015/16 season and it is pretty much what we expected after hearing from the field,' said Michael Sparks, executive vice-pesident and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. 'This season marked another challenging year for Florida citrus growers who even under the toughest circumstances always produce the best citrus in the world.
'In a couple of short months our new season will begin and I remain optimistic that growers will continue to persevere in the face of HLB, or citrus greening,' he added.
The USDA's July report put the 2015/16 Florida grapefruit crop at 10.85m boxes, while specialty citrus finished at 1.82m boxes.
“As another season comes to a close, we reflect on the many highs and lows our industry has experienced in the last year,' noted ]Florida Department of Citrus executive director Shannon Shepp. 'Through it all, one constant has remained: the amazing inside Florida Citrus. While we certainly expect more challenges to come, we look forward to the opportunities a new season brings to promote and protect our beloved American icon.”
