Florida's Orange Industry Is in Its Worst Slump in 100 Years
- State's orange harvest is projected to be lowest since 1964
- Brazilian farmers have shown some success fighting scourge
WINTER GARDEN, FL - JANUARY 7: Water from a micro sprinkler protects citrus waiting to be harvested at a commercial grove near Winter Garden, Florida, January 7, 2010.
Photographer: Matt Stroshane/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Florida oranges are threatened with destruction if scientists and the government can’t find a way to stop an Asian bug from spreading a tree-killing disease.
The harvest for the state’s signature fruit could plunge to 27 million boxes by 2026, according to an Oct. 21 report by the Florida Department of Citrus. That’s an 82 percent drop from 149.8 million boxes in 2005, the year the bacterium that causes Huanglongbing, better known as citrus greening, was found in southern Florida.