The estimate revises expectations to 11.5 million boxes of oranges.
Bartow, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its February 2025 citrus crop forecast today, projecting 11.5 million boxes of oranges, 1.1 million boxes of grapefruit and 350,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos for the 2024-2025 harvest season.
This month’s forecast reflects a decrease in the production of oranges and grapefruit since the January 2025 citrus crop estimate, which estimated 12 million boxes of oranges and 1.2 million boxes of grapefruit, while the production of tangerines and tangelos increased from 300,000.
“The USDA’s estimate reflects the tremendous adversity Florida’s citrus growers continue to face after two decades of citrus greening and devastating hurricanes – what the numbers don’t reflect is the resilience and hope many multi-generational citrus growers have in the future of Florida’s citrus industry,” said Matt Joyner, executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “We remain focused on finding long-term solutions to bolster Florida’s signature crop. It will require the collective effort of researchers, legislators, industry leaders and others.”
On Monday, February 3, 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the proposed Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget for 2025-2026 ahead of this year’s legislative session, which includes more than $20 million for the Citrus Health Response Program and other citrus research. Of the $20 million, $7 million is for advertising and additional research through the Florida Department of Citrus to increase the production of trees and advance technologies that produce a tree resistant to citrus greening. An additional $100 million is available through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program to make working agricultural lands and family farms permanent.
Researchers at the University of Florida | Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are making headway in the fight against citrus greening with a newly developed citrus tree designed to combat the Asian citrus psyllid, which is responsible for spreading citrus greening disease. This innovative approach, which is currently being tested, involves inserting the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) into the tree. This instructs the tree to produce the Bt protein that is lethal to the psyllid and helps to prevent the further spread of citrus greening. To date, this citrus tree has only been tested in the lab and greenhouse. Within the next year, researchers expect to put the newly developed tree into field trials, potentially adding another tool that provides hope for the future.
Florida Citrus Mutual continues to advocate for the Sunshine State’s citrus industry as the 2025 legislative session approaches. Since the industry’s early roots in the 1500s to peak production in the 1990s and early 2000s, Florida citrus has provided jobs and generated billions for the state’s economy.
Two decades of citrus greening and recent major hurricanes – including Irma (2017), Ian and Nicole (2022) and Milton (2024) – have taken a toll on the state’s signature crop. Continued support from our partners in the Florida Legislature will help to rebuild the industry and secure its future.
— provided by Florida Citrus Mutual