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Citrus Statistics

Production

According to the 2006 Florida Agriculture Statistics Services (FASS) census, approximately 82 million citrus trees are grown on roughly 620,000 acres. During the 2006-07 season, Florida harvested 162 million boxes of citrus, representing about 70 percent of total U.S. citrus production. . Of the citrus harvested, 87 percent was processed into juice and the remainder was sold as fresh fruit. In addition to providing juice, processed citrus was used to produce other by-products, such as oils, fragrances, flavorings, and animal feed. The Florida citrus industry provided 21 percent of the state’s total farm receipts in 2005.

Value

The preliminary on-tree value of the 2006-07 citrus crop is estimated at $1.36 billion, or 33 percent higher than the previous season’s value. Preliminary value is based on the part of the crop priced at harvest, which accounts for all of the fresh fruit, and about 35-40 percent of processed fruit.

Employment and Taxes

The citrus industry, directly and indirectly, generates roughly 76,000 full time and part time jobs. In addition to jobs, the industry makes an important contribution to economic activity within Florida each year. The total impact of citrus in Florida’s economy is approximately $9.3 billion a year that includes the $3.7 billion wholesale value of fresh and processed citrus products, $1.9 billion in input purchases by the industry and $3.7 billion in consumer spending by industry employees in other sectors of the economy.

Packing, Processing, and Transportation

Most citrus is trucked to packinghouses or processing plants throughout the state. Approximately 55-60 citrus packinghouses and 16-20 citrus processing plants have operated in Florida in recent years. Eventually, planes, trains, ships, or trucks will transport the juice or fresh fruit to domestic or international markets.

Exports

Though the industry’s most important market is domestic, exports play a major role in the industry’s viability and Florida’s economy. Fresh fruit exports totaled 15 million 4/5 bushel cartons, weighing about 45 pounds each, during the 2006-07 season, 12.7 million of which went to countries overseas. Canadian shipments account for most exports of Florida oranges and specialty fruit, and Japan receives most of the grapefruit. In addition, 11.8 million gallons of frozen concentrate orange juice (FCOJ) and 6.8 million gallons of frozen concentrate grapefruit juice (FCGJ) were shipped out of the U.S. in 2006-07. Florida also exported 16.1 million gallons of not from concentrate orange juice (NFCOJ) and 9.9 million gallons of NFC grapefruit juice.