Florida Citrus Season Ends On Up Note
July 12, 2016 The 2015-2016 Florida citrus season is officially in the books. And when it was all said and done, crop forecasters were nearly spot-on in their estimation from the start.
The final all-orange estimate released by USDA showed an uptick of 100,000 boxes from last month, putting the season’s final tally at 81.5 million boxes.
The total breaks down as follows: 36.1 million boxes of early, midseason, Navel, and Temple varieties; plus 45.4 million boxes of Valencia oranges.
Back in October, initial estimates placed Florida orange production at 80 million boxes, a troubling figure that pointed to the toll HLB has taken on the crop.
Midway through the season, forecasters dropped the estimate to 69 million boxes. From that point, the numbers climbed back into the ballpark, thanks to five consecutive months of gains seen in Valencias.
USDA’s first forecast for the 2016-2017 Florida orange season will be __________ 80 million boxes.
- Less than (78%, 145 Votes)
- Greater than (12%, 22 Votes)
- Equal to (10%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 186
Loading ...“The USDA report puts a bow on the 2015-2016 season and it is pretty much what we expected after hearing from the field,” said Mike Sparks, Executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual in a news release. “This season marked another challenging year for Florida citrus growers who even under the toughest circumstances always produce the best citrus in the world.”
The forecast of all Florida grapefruit production finished up at 10.85 million boxes.
USDA’s initial 2016-2017 Florida citrus forecast is scheduled for October 12.
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