Decline of 14 percent forecast for Florida citrus crop

Hard-hit by the twin plagues of greening and canker, Florida citrus growers face a 14 percent decline in the size of their crop for the 2016-2017 season, according to the initial forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The new crop is expected to produce 70 million boxes of oranges, down from 81.6 million boxes in 2015-2016, and 96.9 million boxes in 2014-2015.

“The 2016-17 citrus season is here and we are cautiously optimistic heading into it,” Michael W. Sparks, vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, said in a press release.

“The all-Florida orange forecast number of 70 million boxes is about what we expected, and although it’s low Florida growers will again use their trademark resilience to bring consumers the best citrus in the world. We expect upward pressure on grower returns,” Sparks said.

Declines are also forecast for the California and Texas orange crops. Florida leads the nation in orange production.

In September, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key.

The act would amend the tax code to allow citrus growers to immediately use a tax deduction for replanting diseased trees even if they bring in minority investors.

Growers welcomed the new legislation for its potential to attract fresh investment in the citrus industry, while scientists search for a cure, or steps to slow the diseases.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Decline of 14 percent forecast for Florida citrus crop."