Weather Woes Left Growers With Mixed Results
by RYAN MILEJCZAK
As the state comes to the close of another citrus season, growers are reporting mixed results.
The USDA’s final citrus estimate for the 2024-2025 Florida season projected 12.2 million boxes, up 1 percent from June, and grapefruit production unchanged at 1.3 million boxes.
“This season was definitely a mixed bag for us,” says Kyle Story, Vice President of the Story Companies and a fourth-generation grower based out of Lake Wales. “We really felt the direct effects of Hurricane Milton.”
Matt Joyner, executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, agrees.
“I think it was another disappointing season, unfortunately,” he says. “We went into it hopeful, but then Hurricane Milton came through some of the most productive citrus acreage in the state, and on the heels of Ian just two seasons prior.”
Hurricane Milton, which came ashore as a powerful Category 3 storm, had a devastating impact on the state’s citrus groves and was perhaps the biggest challenge growers faced this season, though other weather events also caused problems.
“The 2024-25 season was all about weather, and not particularly in a great way,” Story says.
In addition to Milton, dry weather had a significant impact, placing additional stress on trees and making them more susceptible to greening.
“Where a healthy tree might be able to withstand some of the stress of greening, an unhealthy one with a diminished root system will have a very hard time bouncing back,” explains Ray Royce, Executive Director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association.
In fact, it can take years for the trees to fully recover.
“With a tree crop, recovery is a multi-year process,” Joyner says. “Trees lose a lot of limbs and foliage, as well as sitting in water for extended periods, all of which is hard on a tree. It’s not a crop you can just plow and start over.”
Despite that, Joyner is upbeat about how growers are recovering.
“I’m feeling good about the direction of things,” he says. “Immediately after the storm, people got out there to clean the groves, provide nutrients to the trees, and do everything they needed to set a crop and be prepared for this coming year.”
Story says the recovery process is going well.
“We’ve definitely seen a rebound from Milton,” he says.
Despite the struggles, this season wasn’t all bad news. Many growers reported good fruit quality and success with new tactics such as new growing methods.
“We were glad to see that at the end of the season, our estimate showed that we’d even added a few boxes. And while quality isn’t quite where we’d want, we had a bit better quality than the last couple of seasons,” Royce says.
“We’re early investors in Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) structures, and those continue to be a home run,” Story says.
The sentiment among growers and industry professionals remains high in spite of extended hurricane recovery time and the long road ahead.
“I’m feeling very optimistic about the future,” Joyner says. “It’s been a rough few years, but growers have assessed every box they’ve produced to engage in research to combat greening, and the state legislature, the USDA, and our leaders in congress have really rallied behind the research that needs to be done, and it’s starting to yield results.”
To help foster this research, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed the 2025-2026 state budget, which includes a hefty cash infusion for the citrus industry.
“This is a substantial investment to get the resources we need to recover and rebound,” Joyner adds.
The budget also extends the Abandoned Grove Initiative.
“For folks that aren’t going to be able to continue in citrus, or right now isn’t the time to reinvest but they want to keep their land, they have this program,” Story says. “Basically, if you remove a dead or dying citrus grove, you’re able to keep your “Greenbelt” status on property tax. Originally, it provided five years of de minimis tax value, but it has now been extended to 10.”
Challenges aside, Royce emphasizes that citrus remains a pivotal industry for the state.
“Citrus is going to continue to play an important and economic role in Florida,” he says. “Not only is it an economic driver, it’s a part of the landscape of who we are. It isn’t just about putting oranges into the processing plant or packing house, it’s about how we maintain the landscape of our state. When you have a healthy ag sector, it’s good not just for the economy, but for the community.”