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Give Citrus a Squeeze

Palm Beach Post – July 20, 2008

Amid the rotten economic news about Florida last week was something at least a little hopeful: The state’s first industry is doing better.

Florida Citrus Mutual, which represents 8,000 growers, reported that this year’s orange crop increased 32 percent. State groves produced nearly 170 million boxes, each of which holds 90 pounds of fruit. Summer rains have raised optimism about next year’s harvest.

As a Citrus Mutual spokesman noted, however, almost any increase would have looked impressive because last year’s crop was the smallest since 1989-90. That harvest was stunted by the freeze that hit Christmas Day, killing so many trees that lots of groves in Central Florida sold out to developers.

And that’s why we mention the harvest numbers. Even if you don’t drink the luscious juice that most Florida oranges become, all state residents benefit when citrus land remains in production. The industry provides jobs and acts against more sprawl development. Andrew Meadows, the mutual spokesman, said, “It seems as if the environmental groups and others are understanding that groves mean open space and water storage.”

Given the real-estate market, growers are less likely to sell. But the pressures remain. Mr. Meadows said there’s general agreement that the harvest won’t ever again reach the pre-hurricane years high. The storms destroyed trees that haven’t been replanted. Canker eradication took 70,000 acres out of production. The citrus greening disease could devastate the industry.

With all the attention tourism receives, it can be hard to remember that agriculture is Florida’s leading industry. These days, the state needs it more than ever.

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