Florida citrus growers counting the cost of hurricane Charley may actually find themselves in the black.
Indeed the growers may well be keeping their fingers crossed that the damage to the crop proves to be high.
The storm could prove to be a major bonus for citrus growers who have endured low prices and declining sales for a number of years.
Prior to the storm, the season appeared to be approaching a bumper harvest, and the US Department of Agriculture has predicted a 20 per cent loss from the hurricane, which has prompted higher prices.
However, some experts expect that prediction to be high and it may take at least another two weeks until the full extent of the damage is known.
Meanwhile, growers are also set to receive US$225m in disaster assistance from the US government.
