Grapefruit growers in Florida are hopeful that a forecast 88 per cent increase in their crop this season will survive the threat of hurricane Wilma.
Official estimates released by the US department of citrus last week forecast a partial recovery from last season’s hurricanes with a 24 million box crop.
This compares to 12.8m boxes in 2004-05 and a 41m box crop in 2003-04. It is forecast to be the smallest crop since the 1944-45 season, not counting last year. Mike Yetter of the Florida Department of Citrus said: “The crop is also feeling the effects of citrus canker which was spread by the hurricanes last year.” Trees have been burned to try and contain the disease and Yetter is confident that an end to the process is now in sight.
“A further $200m in federal funding has been promised to aid the eradication effort and so we are confident that in 12-18 months we will have eradicated it,” he said.
The state is also having to face up to another disease threat: citrus greening, also known as yellow dragon disease, which is spread by the Asian psyllid insect.
It was found in south-east Florida away from any commercial grapefruit groves in August, but there have been further finds since then. “We are certainly looking at the situation very closely and monitoring it,” said Yetter.
The FDOC is also working hard on regaining market share in the UK. “We are optimistic we will recover share and ship a lot more to the UK: up to 600,000 cartons from 200,000 last season,” said Yetter. “We will be running a big sampling campaign with the major retailers in our peak selling period after Christmas.” Fruit is due to start arriving in the UK in the next two weeks, he added.
Meanwhile, as the FPJ went to press, hurricane Wilma was forecast to make landfall on Saturday afternoon at Fort Myers, cutting through to the south of the Indian River area and potentially placing grapefruit at risk
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