Florida citrus crate

Florida will see 1m boxes less than was forecast in March

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the lowering of its 2012/13 Florida citrus estimate by 1m boxes, down to a total 138m boxes.

According to the USDA, the Valencia variety accounted for the decline, dropping from 72m boxes in March to 71m boxes this month, while early-mid varieties remained at 67m boxes.

'This is not unexpected,' explained Michael Sparks, executive vice-president and chief executive officer of the state's largest grower organisation Florida Citrus Mutual.

'We have experienced unprecedented fruit drop as a result of dry weather and severed disease challenges from HLB, or citrus greening,' he added. 'Those factors have contributed to the current situation.'

Meanwhile, the 2012/13 Florida grapefruit estimate held at 17m boxes, with tangerines down to 3.5m boxes and tangelos remaining stable at 1m boxes.

Florida's citrus industry has a US$9bn annual economic impact, employs nearly 76,000 people and covers some 550,000 acres.

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