The citrus trade has lengthy been one among Florida’s defining options. And whereas the trade has struggled previously twenty years, it nonetheless stays a key a part of the identification and economic system of Florida.
In reality, the citrus trade employs greater than 32,500 individuals and gives $6.9 billion to the state economic system each single yr, plus lots of of hundreds of thousands in contributions by way of tax income that assist assist our colleges, roads, and healthcare companies.
Whereas oranges and different citrus aren’t native to the Americas, they’re removed from a brand new arrival. In reality, the primary oranges within the Americas arrived with Columbus himself in 1493. Nevertheless, it will be practically 4 hundred years earlier than business cultivation started within the mid 1800s. In 1875, the long-lasting citrus crate arrived because of the contributions of E.B. Bean, with most citrus in these instances shipped by steamboats by way of the St. Johns.
Between then and now, the citrus trade has had greater than its fair proportion of ups and downs. Extreme freezes, hurricanes, and pests such because the Mediterranean fruit fly all induced main injury to the trade, nevertheless it was at all times capable of bounce again. Within the 2000s, the trade’s biggest problem arrived: Huanglongbing, extra generally often called “HLB” or citrus greening.
This illness, unfold by a bug referred to as the asian citrus psyllid, has induced a large contraction within the citrus trade, with citrus acreage lower than 1 / 4 what it was 25 years in the past.
As of most recent counts, there have been 208,186 acres of citrus grown in Florida in 2025, down 24% from 274,705 in 2024. Manufacturing for the 2024-2025 season was 14.6 million containers, down from 20.3 million containers the earlier yr. This represents a manufacturing worth of $273 million for our state. Whereas that is down from $330 million the yr earlier than, it’s nonetheless a big contributor to the state economic system.
Not surprisingly, oranges make up the majority of those numbers, with 183,860 acres dedicated to them. The opposite main contributor is grapefruit, with 27,700 acres grown.
The remaining citrus crops grown within the state make smaller however nonetheless important contributions. This was the primary yr the USDA counted lemon within the manufacturing in our state, with 670,000 containers harvested. USDA numbers rely tangerines, mandarines, and tangelos collectively; there are 5,774 acres of those cultivated within the state (down barely from 6,700 the yr earlier than), representing a price of $10.425 million.
Most of this manufacturing happens in Central and South Florida, with Polk being the biggest producer by a good margin, with 3.8 million containers produced within the 2024-2025 season, in comparison with 2.9 million for the second-place contender, Highlands County. Desoto, St. Lucie, Hendry, and Hardee counties adopted in manufacturing, whereas counties like Collier, Indian River, and Lake logged even fewer containers.
Regardless of the challenges the trade faces, Florida’s scientists, growers, and different citrus trade professionals are devoted to revitalizing our citrus trade. Earlier this yr, the Florida Legislature authorized greater than $100 million {dollars} for the Citrus Analysis and Discipline Trial (CRAFT) program. This cash will probably be used to assist analysis and discipline trials to battle citrus greening, with growers all throughout the state collaborating in this system.
Thanks partly to this program, growers and different trade professionals are feeling extra optimistic than ever.
