USDA has risen its Florida orange forecast by 100,000 boxes compared to it February forecast, but it still remains 35% below last year’s final production numbers.
USDA now predicts that this season’s totals will reach 11.6 million boxes, the majority of which are made up by Valencia oranges. The year-over-year decline is part of a larger trend, which has been largely caused by hurricanes.
According to Mark Hudson with USDA NASS, “It’s even lower than the hurricane season of two years ago, when you look at 11.6 for all oranges compared to just two seasons ago when it was 15.82 million boxes. And even with— during Irma, Irma was 45 million boxes, compared to 11 million boxes, but you can understand we have less trees and also, the yields are not as high.”
Hudson says that he blames lower yields on citrus green disease, which has now been discovered across most of the state of Florida.
Transportation challenges are mounting as droughts lower Mississippi River levels and push freight rates higher.
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Listen to Alex’s Dirt Diaries episode today on all podcast platforms or tune into Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147 to listen, weekends at 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET.
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Waiting could risk leaving next year’s crop unprotected.
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Michigan corn farmer and NCGA Vice President-Elect Matt Frostic will lead the task force. He joined us on Thursday to share his insights on the escalating corn crisis.
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U.S. soybean farmers are growing increasingly frustrated by Argentina’s gains in Chinese grain contracts and Trump’s pledge of economic support for the South American ally.
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Midwest corn and soy producers are monitoring for disease and lower yields due to the ongoing drought over the last 30 days.
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