Prepare For Orange Juice Sticker Shock

MSN.com ^ | 14 April 2014 | Krystal Steinmetz

[zeestephen]

Florida, the source of the majority of oranges used to make orange juice in the U.S., experienced an unusually cold winter, plus a fruit disease. Groves in Brazil, the world's largest orange exporter, are experiencing the worst drought in decades.

[bicyclerepair]

Can’t drink OJ. It gives me sores on my gums.

[Ray76]

Natalies Orchid Island! Or Hale

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Factually, Florida citrus is suffering from citrus greening and will continue to do so, until citrus is gone. Citrus greening causes progressively smaller, less sweet fruit and in five years the tree dies. It is a major problem in Florida. And, a major problem in Brazil.

PS: Most Florida citrus is owned and run by Brazilian companies.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Natalie’s is a fine company.

[W.]

We had a Lawson’s almost next door where I grew up. OJ & milk in the returnable half-gallon jugs, chip-chop ham [and laster, roast beef] and the ice cream, too. Handy place for a growin’ boy. Ah, memories!

[VeniVidiVici]

Unusually cold? I’m in Ocala and we had one of the mildest winters (read: warm/not cold) in at least 5 or 6 years. We lost our one orange tree 2 years ago; it was really cold that winter. But this winter? Uh-uh.

Same here in Orlando.

[zeestephen]

Thanks for the update.

I had not realized the Brazilians were so involved in Florida citrus.

I lived in Florida from 1950 to 1985.

The orange crop was ALWAYS just a few years away from total destruction, either by canker, fruit flies, drought, or record cold temperatures.

Lesson learned?

Being a farmer sucks, even in the sub-tropics.

In the 1970’s we had a terrible blight that wiped out millions of coconut palm trees.

Have they ever grown back?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The local boutique markets sell fresh-squeezed made from Southern California navels. Runs about $10 a quart (!), but what a special treat.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

I'm not familiar with coconut growing in the state. However, a lot of the citrus growers are planting different crops, ie blueberries, guava, etc. They're saying that guava trees have been a tool to fight the fly that has caused citrus greening.

Read it and weep: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/citrus-greening-bacteria-devastating-world-s-orange-crop-1.2465887

[zeestephen]

Coconut growing has always been a small business there.

The millions of trees that died were landscaping.

We lost like four trees at our house, and another six at my Father's hotel.

For a couple years Broward County looked like it had been clear cut by an insane logging company.

The blight was called "Lethal Yellowing."

There are probably old pictures on the Internet.