The Florida citrus crop has come through the cold snap that hit the state last week, with minor damage reported on the orange crop in the northern counties, while the grapefruit crop was virtually unaffected.
The lowest temperatures hit the north central area of the state, where it fell into minus figures.
Readings dropped to below -1ºC last Wednesday and fruit damage is incurred at around 28ºF (-2ºC).
The Indian River region, a major area for grapefruit production, was relatively warm compared to the rest of the area.
The weather is now back to normal, with mostly sunny and dry conditions and daytime highs in the 70ºFs, and lows at night in the 50ºFs. There is no immediate threat of another cold snap.
Mike Yetter, director of international marketing at the Florida Department of Citrus told FPJ: “The temperatures could actually be beneficial to the trees and fruit - it put the trees in a dormant state, making them hardier.
“Cool weather also colours the fruit and can improve the brix of the fruit.”
The next official crop estimates will be released on January 11.
The cold snap is expected to have little impact on the January 11 forecast, and fruit sizing and droppage is unlikely to see significant revisions, if any.
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