Florida grapefruit production has been forecast to fall by nine per cent to 19.8 million boxes in the coming season.
The US department of agriculture released the 2009-10 crop estimate last week, which indicated that orange volumes will drop by 14.4 per cent to 136m boxes, while speciality lines will increase by 18 per cent to 5.9m boxes.
Ken Keck, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, said in a statement: “In spite of the decrease, we believe the ongoing viability of the Florida citrus industry remains strong.
“[The] forecast reflects a lower crop size due to variable weather conditions. There are currently 74.1m citrus trees in commercial production and the industry continues to contribute $9 billion (£5.5bn) to the state economy.
“The Florida citrus industry has united over the past 18 months to make significant progress in the battle against greening. More than 100 disease research projects are underway and the newly formed Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc will help commercialise solutions for Florida growers.”
He continued: “We look forward to a productive 2009-10 citrus season. Recent independent research demonstrated that the Florida Department of Citrus’ fully integrated marketing programmes generated $5 for every grower dollar invested during the 52-week period ending March 2009.
“The Florida Department of Citrus will continue to grow the market for the Florida citrus industry to help ensure its sustainability and the important contributions to Florida’s agriculture and economy,” Keck added.
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