Our pants can also go on the orange juice

(Photo: Pixabay)

Last year, Florida, where more than 90% of the US orange crop comes from, was hit by several hurricanes, causing serious damage to the orange region. Growers would also be battling an incurable citrus greening disease spread by an invasive insect, rendering the fruit unfit for consumption. Infected trees die within a few years, and several growers have told the Financial Times they will stop farming and sell their land.

U.S. orange production will be the lowest in a century this year, according to industry data

The international price of frozen condensed orange juice is also strongly determined by the Florida crop. Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, a grower trade association, said – At its peak, our industry sold about 244 million cases of oranges. This season we closed with less than 16 million crates. You can see a dramatic decline due to this disease and weather conditions that have shaken our industry to its core.

The Guardian