Growers and exporters of Florida grapefruit are still counting the cost of the hurricanes Frances and Charley that criss-crossed the state last weekend and nearly three weeks ago.
Florida agriculture commissioner Charles Bronson estimated yesterday that at least half of the new grapefruit crop has been lost to the high winds and rain. And although prices for the fruit that is left are likely to be higher, this is of little consolation to those growers who lost everything and will not make up for the shortfall for those left with some fruit.
The principal grapefruit growing area of Indian River was harder hit by Frances than Charley whose impact was greater on orange producing areas. Usually 80 per cent of fruit grown in Indian River is exported, but Bronson estimates that some 80 per cent of the crop has been lost.
However, Mike Yetter of the international department at the Florida Department of Citrus says it is still too early to make an accurate assessment. "There are no official numbers out yet, but fruit loss is significant," said Yetter. "Picking would usually start in the first week of October, but at the moment we don’t know what the prognosis is. It wasn’t just the high winds, Frances also dumped a lot of water and that will have an effect on the fruit that is left." Sizes of the remaining fruit are likely to be larger than average as a result.
Some trees have lost all their fruit and groves stand a metre deep in water.
Florida is a major producing region globally and produces some 40 million boxes of grapefruit in a normal season. Texas, California and Arizona grow only about 11 million boxes and although opportunities to export to the UK will increase for these sources, they will not be able to make up the Florida shortfall.
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