Florida is reeling after the state was struck by two major hurricanes.
What happened in the Sunshine State will reverberate across the country.
And breakfast will be in a world of hurt after Florida got this terrible news after the hurricane.
Hurricane decimates Florida’s orange crop during harvest season
Hurricane season has not been kind to Florida this year.
The state was struck by two major storms in less than two weeks.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into the state’s Gulf Coast causing loss of life and tens of billions in property damage.
The destruction from those storms also dealt a devastating blow to the state’s citrus industry.
Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Matt Joyner warned that citrus crops were in bad shape from two hurricanes during an appearance on the Fox Business show Cavuto: Coast to Coast.
“Milton came across the center of the state and really impacted probably 70% of the most productive citrus acreage in Florida,” Joyner said.
Harvest season is underway in Florida for citrus fruits, adding to the misery.
“We’d already been struggling, three hurricanes in the last seven years, plus fighting citrus greening, one of the most detrimental diseases known to citrus worldwide for the past two decades, has really put this industry back on its heels for sure,” Joyner explained.
Citrus greening disease is caused by bacteria that came from Asia and has no known cure.
Higher prices for orange juice and citrus products are on the way
Florida’s citrus industry was struggling before the one-two punch from the hurricanes.
Department of Agriculture estimates predict that Florida will produce 16% fewer boxes of oranges during the current growing season compared to last year.
That estimate was generated before Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida and damaged some of the largest citrus farms.
Joyner told Fox Business host Neil Cavuto there was “no doubt” that prices are increasing for oranges and orange juice.
“These trees will continue to lose fruit over the next week or so,” Joyner stated. “But we’ve seen a substantial amount of this year’s early oranges in particular, but this year’s crop hit the ground already. And so we know that we’re going to continue to see a little bit of that fruit loss over time.”
The global citrus supply is also suffering in countries like Brazil and Mexico that export oranges to the United States.
“That’s going to have an impact on what we’re going to be able to bring to harvest this year,” Joyner explained. “And certainly, not only [is] the impact is here in Florida, but what are somewhat global constraints on citrus around the world are going to continue to have that upward effect on pricing.”
Oranges and orange juice are close to record highs in price, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We try to focus on what we’re dealing with right now. Not a whole lot we can do to impact a hurricane when it’s barreling towards us,” Joyner said. “So, we just deal with the here and now.”
A glass of orange juice during breakfast could be more expensive than ever after the latest bout of hurricanes.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
