Two years after Hurricane Irma, Florida growers now face a citrus glut

[TexasTowelie]

TALLAHASSEE ― Florida citrus has bounced back stronger than expected from Hurricane Irma two years ago, causing an oversupply that may force some state growers to let some of their crop hit the ground without being harvested.

Two growing seasons removed from the September 2017 storm that flooded groves and uprooted citrus trees across the state, the industry has seen production rebound more quickly than some anticipated.

Juice processors did not expect Florida citrus production to return to the level seen just before Irma and signed three- and five-year supply deals with growers from countries including Mexico and Brazil.

Those contracts have left Florida growers, who had faced more than a decade of declining production, facing a market glut.

Read more: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/os-bz-citrus-surplus-florida-20191111-642tpf3mabh6pcn642y66nitn4-story.html

[safeinOhio]

1. Farmers get less and we pay more....

Prices for items made of steel have sky rocketed and the price for scrap steel is way down, $30/ton. Can't give away soy beans and no drop in the price of tofu.

[TexasTowelie]

2. Are you trying to tell me that capitalism isn't working?

[safeinOhio]

3. Oh, it's working great

for the 1%. Not us.

[True Blue American]

4. I did notice oranges

Were on sale at Krogers, $4.99.

[mitch96]

5. I don't get it.. first citrus disease kills the crop, end of oranges and now it's a glut..

So what's the deal?
m

[Phoenix61]

6. Citrus greening takes time to destroy the groves.

Unless they come up with a cure/treatment for it the current groves will stop producing.

[mitch96]

7. I understand the process and the disparity in reporting makes no sense to me

First it's feast then it's famine... I'm guessing we need to look at production output. Is it up or down... or neutral... then there is always the marketing to raise prices because of "shortages"..
m