Acreage Archives - Citrus Industry Magazine: Recent Episodes
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The 2024 Commercial Citrus Inventory for Florida shows total citrus acreage of 274,705 acres, down 17% from the 2023 annual survey. The net loss of 57,551 acres is 14,505 acres more than was lost the previous year. New plantings at 4,751 acres are down from 2023, when 6,203 acres were planted.
The inventory was released Aug. 29 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Commercial citrus in 23 counties showed decreases in acreage. Hendry County lost the most acreage, down 12,374 acres from the previous season. Polk County leads in citrus acreage with 58,516 acres, followed by Desoto County at 51,800 acres.
Florida orange acreage is now at 248,028 acres, down 18% from the previous season. Valencia acreage now accounts for 63% of the total orange acreage, non-Valencia acreage represents 35% and the remaining orange acreage is unidentified.
Grapefruit acreage is now at 14,316 acres, down 10% from last year.
Specialty fruit acreage, at 12,361 acres, is down 6% from 2023. Tangerines and tangelos account for 58% of the specialty fruit, with 7,189 acres. The remaining specialty fruit acreage is other citrus varieties, with a total of 5,172 acres or 42%.
In 2000, Florida acreage totaled 832,275 citrus acres, more than three times the current total. The total acreage in 2000 was comprised of 665,529 orange acres, 118,145 grapefruit acres and 48,601 specialty fruit acres.
The largest net loss of total acreage since 2000 was 127,182 acres, reported in 2006, a year after the devastating HLB disease was discovered in Florida. At that time, USDA NASS was reporting citrus acreage only every two years. Historical annual acreage reporting resumed in 2008.
With the exception of specialty fruit, all citrus varieties have seen declining acreage in every report since 2000. Specialty fruit acreage increased every year from 2018 to 2021, when specialty fruit reached 15,086 acres before declining to 13,646 acres in 2022.
Source: USDA NASS
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The 2024 California Citrus Acreage Report indicates that acreage for five varieties increased from 2022 to 2024 while acreage for the state’s two orange varieties decreased during the same period.
INCREASES
The increases were in:
- Grapefruit, from 8,595 acres in 2022 to 9,053 acres in 2024
- Lemons, from 51,592 acres to 52,725 acres
- Limes, from 561 acres to 570 acres
- Pummelos and hybrids, from 1,230 acres to 1,262 acres
- Mandarins and mandarin hybrids, from 67,148 acres to 68,830 acres
DECREASES
Navel oranges declined from 113,586 acres in 2022 to 112,366 acres in 2024.
Valencia orange acres dipped from 26,225 to 25,297 acres for the same period.
BEARING ACREAGE
The vast majority of all citrus acres was reported as fruit-bearing versus non-bearing. Bearing acreage per variety in 2024 was reported at 8,223 acres for grapefruit; 49,770 for lemons; 538 for limes; 109,461 for navel oranges; 25,050 for Valencia oranges; 1,136 for pummelos and hybrids; and 64,933 for mandarins and mandarin hybrids.
ABOUT THE REPORT
The report was issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Agricultural Statistics Service in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) Pacific Regional Office. The Pacific Regional Office conducts an acreage survey of California citrus growers as funding is available. Funding for the survey was provided by the California citrus industry.
The purpose of the survey is to provide bi-annual citrus acreage, which includes information on new plantings and removals. It is the continuation of a long series of industry-funded surveys.
The report cautioned that a voluntary survey of approximately 5,000 citrus growers is unlikely to attain 100% completeness, and that it is difficult for USDA NASS to detect growers who are planting citrus for the first time.
Read about Florida citrus acreage here.
Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture
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The study’s results indicate that over the next decade, there will be a 21.3% reduction of hectares (1 hectare = 2.5 acres) in Brazil’s Citrus Belt.A study by researchers Gilberto Tozatti, Mauricio Mendez and Rodolfo Castro indicated the likely future significant reduction in Brazilian citrus acreage and production due to huanglongbing (HLB or greening). The calculations are based solely on the current Brazilian Citrus Belt and do not consider future citrus projects happening in areas outside of it.
Tozatti presented the study at the recent International Research Conference on HLB in California. The study received support from the Group of Citrus Consultants (GCONCI). Tozatti summarizes his presentation:
Brazil is the world’s largest orange juice producer, with the citrus sector playing an important role in the Brazilian economy by generating employment and moving over $6.5 billion annually. The industry faces a growing threat from HLB. This disease has been causing significant damage, reducing production and leading to the eradication of orchards.
Estimating the future of orange production and the extent of citrus cultivation in the next decade is important for investor decision-making, but studies in this regard are lacking. A forecasting model was proposed, taking into account the regional prevalence of greening disease and citrus growers’ investment expectations.
The analysis was based on inventory data and the crop estimate survey conducted by Fundecitrus for the Citrus Belt region. This region is an area in the states of São Paulo and southwest Minas Gerais responsible for almost 80% of the country’s planted area and production.
The premises of the decision-making process considered the intention of new plantings and the eradication of orchards according to the incidence of HLB in the region. The process is based on recent history and the drop in productivity of plants with HLB.
The study indicates that over the next decade, there will be a significant reduction (21.3%) of 82,600 hectares in citrus cultivation area, resulting in a total of 305,100 remaining hectares.
Production in five years will be in the range of 249 to 228.6 million boxes, representing a 20% to 21.2% decline. Over a period of 10 years, production will be in the range of 203.7 (down 34.6%) to 182.2 (down 37.1%) million boxes, considering optimistic and pessimistic scenarios, respectively.
These results have relevant implications in the global orange juice market and will guide decision-makers, mainly regarding investments in the Brazilian citrus sector. The model can be updated annually in sync with the crop estimate survey data updates.
The reduction in orange area and production projected by the model will lead to unfulfilled worldwide demand for juice consumption and a price increase over the next decade.
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It’s no secret that Florida’s citrus industry has seen significant shrinkage since the advent of citrus greening in the state. In the December issue of Citrus Industry magazine, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) economist Ariel Singerman takes an in-depth look at the acreage attrition. He examines the figures by county over the past 20 years. His article includes information on population growth and land-use concerns.
For those growers committed to continuing to grow Florida citrus, there are tools to help them succeed. One such tool is plant growth regulators (PGRs). Research has found that certain PGRs, applied in the right amount at the proper time, can help reduce preharvest fruit drop. Brandon Page, field trials coordinator for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), provides details on a CRDF project that compared 10 different PGR treatments. The comprehensive study included both Hamlins and Valencias. Find out what PGRs yielded the best results in Page’s report.
Another tool that can benefit citrus growers is IrrigMonitor, a new data visualization platform developed by UF/IFAS researchers at the Indian River Research and Education Center Smart Irrigation and Hydrology Lab. The IrrigMonitor system provides real-time insights on soil-moisture levels to help growers improve irrigation scheduling and management. Sandra Guzmán, UF/IFAS assistant professor, explains how to use IrrigMonitor in her December article.
Also in the December issue is an explanation of the Food Traceability Rule, a new federal regulation that establishes recordkeeping requirements for those who manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the Food Traceability List. Learn more from the article by UF/IFAS authors Clara Diekman and Michelle Danyluk.
The December issue of Citrus Industry magazine is coming soon. Both print and digital issues are available. If you are not already receiving the magazine, sign up for a subscription here.
About the Author
Tacy CalliesEditor of Citrus Industry magazine
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By Ariel SingermanCitrus greening (HLB) has significantly impacted the Florida citrus industry. The disease has caused tree health, yield and fruit quality to decrease significantly over time. In 2022–23, due to the combined impact of HLB, Hurricane Ian and a freeze in December 2022, the statewide average yield for both Valencia and non-Valencia oranges was estimated to be approximately 50 boxes per acre, down from 389 and 473 boxes per acre in 2003–04, respectively.
The decline has also been very significant for grapefruit. The statewide average yield for red and white grapefruit were 490 and 508 boxes per acre in 2003–04, whereas in 2022–23 they were estimated at 136 and 153 boxes per acre, respectively.
The significant decrease in Florida’s citrus yield has occurred despite growers’ multiple efforts to adopt different practices each year in an attempt to deal with the disease. This has caused the cost of production to increase significantly, particularly on a per box basis (see previous article here). Therefore, growers have (on average) been facing losses for several seasons, forcing many to exit the industry. One of the consequences of the downsizing of the industry is the attrition of citrus acreage statewide, which is the focus of the analysis in this article. Given the extent and the rate of the decline, this article may be of interest to both stakeholders and policymakers.
STATE FIGURES
Figure 1 shows that citrus-bearing acreage in Florida was 679,000 in 2003–04. But it has been declining every season since. In 2021–22, citrus-bearing acreage statewide was estimated at 340,200 acres, which approximately represents a 50% decline since 2003–04. The decline in citrus acreage statewide, however, had started a few years before HLB was found. It was the result of the combined impact of the implementation of the state’s canker eradication program in the late 1990s, hurricanes, the increase in real estate development and changing consumer preferences for orange juice.
Figure 1. Citrus–bearing acreage in FloridaThe outbreak of HLB made citrus production much more challenging than it used to be. In the past, an initial capital investment for the establishment of a grove and an annual standard caretaking program consisting of three sprays a year would generally suffice. But HLB requires implementing intensive grove management and adaptive caretaking practices each season. Many growers have not been able to keep up with the increase in expenses associated with those practices. The continuous lack of profitability season after season has forced many out of business, resulting in much of the citrus acreage across the state to be converted to other uses.
COUNTY NUMBERS
The conversion of land out of citrus has varied across citrus-producing counties. Figure 2 shows citrus acreage by county in Florida in 2003–04. As denoted by the graph’s colored scale, the darker the color of the county, the higher the citrus acreage. Thus, Polk, Hendry, St. Lucie and Highlands counties all had over 70,000 acres devoted to citrus production in 2003–04. Even counties with large urban centers had some acreage devoted to citrus production. For example, Sarasota and Orange counties had almost 1,700 and 5,600 citrus acres, respectively. Hillsborough County had close to 20,000 acres devoted to citrus production in 2003–04.
Figure 2. Citrus acreage by county in 2003–04As shown in Figure 3, by 2021–22, citrus acreage had declined in all citrus-producing counties. In fact, in some counties, citrus acreage has almost vanished. This trend can be more easily observed by looking at Figure 4, which shows citrus acreage attrition from 2003–04 to 2021–22. Figure 4 denotes that St. Lucie was the county in which citrus acreage decreased the most, with a decline of over 60,000 acres from 2003–04 to 2021–22. In Hendry, Indian River and Polk counties, citrus acreage decreased by 42,000, 36,000 and 33,000 acres, respectively.
Figure 3. Citrus acreage by county in 2021–22Figure 4. Citrus acreage attrition by county from 2003–04 to 2021–22In some of the counties that did not have such a large acreage devoted to citrus in 2003–04, the decrease in percentage terms was even higher compared to that of the counties listed above. Figure 5 shows the percent of citrus acreage attrition by county from 2003–04 to 2021–22. It can be seen from Figure 5 that Brevard, Hernando, Hillsborough, Orange and Pasco counties had a decrease in citrus acreage equal to or greater than 90%. The number of acres devoted to citrus in those five counties combined was less than 3,000 in 2021–22.
Figure 5. Citrus acreage attrition (in percentage) by county from 2003–04 to 2021–22PRESSURE FROM POPULATION GROWTH
Despite the significant percentage decrease of citrus acreage in those counties, such a trend is hardly surprising. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the population in Florida increased by 3.4 million from 2010 to 2022, which represents an 18% increase during such a period. Florida is currently the third most populous state in the country — with a population estimated at 22.2 million — and was the fastest-growing state in 2022. From 2021 to 2022, almost 417,000 people moved to Florida. Such an increase translates into over 1,100 people moving into the state each day, requiring additional housing and infrastructure to be built to accommodate them.
Figure 6 shows the population density in citrus-growing counties in 2020. It should be readily apparent that the darker colored counties in Figure 6 (mostly) coincide with those in Figure 5. Brevard, Hillsborough, Orange and Pasco counties — which, as mentioned above, experienced a decrease of 90% or more in citrus acres since 2003–04 — are some of the counties where most people already live and new residents want to move to. Other counties with high population density (see Figure 6) that also experienced a significant percentage decrease in citrus acreage include Seminole, St. Lucie and Volusia (see Figure 5). Therefore, taken together, Figures 5 and 6 denote the pressure on citrus acreage resulting from population growth.
Figure 6. Population density (per square mile) in citrus-growing counties in 2020LAND-USE CONCERNSDue to the lack of profitability of citrus production driven by the impact of HLB, solar panel installations have been replacing some citrus groves in Florida. In the third quarter of 2023, Florida ranked as the state with the highest number of solar panel installations, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight report. Hence, the lack of profitability of citrus production due to the impact of HLB, the pressure generated by population growth, and the increasing interest in solar project developments have been key drivers behind the significant decrease in citrus acreage across the state since 2003–04.
Land use change is of particular concern because as the state’s population continues to grow, more land will be allocated to real estate development. Without protection or financial incentives, there is a potential for a substantial future loss of natural and rural agricultural land.
The technical report Florida 2070 compares alternative population distribution scenarios across the state by the year 2070. The report’s most important finding is that modest increases in development densities can result in substantial natural and agricultural land prevented from being converted out of its current use, thereby contributing to ensure the survival of ecosystem services on which humans depend. Conservation easements can be an option to prevent land use change for areas that are a target for conversion. Those easements are voluntary agreements between a landowner and a conservation organization or government agency by which landowners continue to own their property but donate or sell specific land use rights to achieve a mutually agreed conservation objective in exchange for tax benefits or direct payments.
SUMMARY
Citrus-bearing acreage in Florida has decreased by approximately 50% since 2003–04. Such a decline has been driven by the combination of the lack of profitability of citrus production due to the impact of HLB, the pressure generated by the state’s population growth, and (more recently) the increase in the number of solar project developments. Protection or financial incentives, such as those provided by conservation easements, are needed to prevent further future loss of natural and rural agricultural land and ensure the survival of ecosystem services on which humans rely.
Ariel Singerman is an associate professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
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University of Georgia citrus Extension agent Jake Price recently estimated Georgia has reached a record-high of 570,760 citrus trees planted on 3,936 acres.
Figure 1. Georgia citrus acreage continues to steadily grow.Each year, Price estimates the number of citrus trees planted in Georgia. Calculating 2023 numbers has been a little different because of tree losses due to the December 2022 freeze. Of the 567 new acres of trees planted in 2022, Price estimates Georgia lost 230 acres.
According to Price, approximately 80% of trees planted in 2022 were non-satsuma varieties, which are less cold hardy. Plus, first-year trees are more susceptible to freezes. With the loss of trees, Georgia’s 2022 citrus acreage was revised from 3,262 to 3,032 total acres.
In 2023, citrus tree nurseries sold 904 acres of trees to Georgia, which was an increase from 2022, reports Price. Many of these trees were used to replace lost trees. Ninety-two percent of the trees sold to Georgia growers in 2023 were produced in Georgia nurseries. Only 190 of the 904 acres planted in 2023 were satsumas, which continues a shift away from satsumas in Georgia.
Price estimates that 66% of the total citrus acreage in Georgia is satsumas. The most common non-satsuma varieties being planted are grapefruit, tangos, shiranui and navels.
Price’s best estimate is that Georgia has 3,936 acres of citrus planted in 2023. For his calculations, he estimates 145 trees per acre.
Figure 1 shows steady growth in tree numbers since 2013, when Georgia had very few citrus trees. Tree growth has boomed since 2019, when the number of trees first exceeded 100,000. In 2021, Price estimated the state had slightly less than 400,000 trees.
To support the state’s growing industry, a Georgia Citrus Commission was recently established. Learn more here.
Source: University of Georgia Extension
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California citrus acreage (bearing and nonbearing) planted in grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins and pummelos increased in 2022 when compared to 2020. However, the state’s orange acreage declined. That information was in the 2022 California Citrus Acreage Report by the California Department of Food and Agriculture in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Mandarin acreage has increased by approximately 5% in California from 2020 to 2022.Although orange acreage declined, oranges account for more than half of California’s total citrus acreage. Navel oranges were planted on 113,586 acres in 2022, down from 115,485 acres in 2020. Valencia oranges were planted on 26,225 acres in 2022, down from 27,336 acres in 2020.
Mandarins and mandarin hybrids were planted on 67,148 acres in 2022, up from 63,809 acres in 2020.
Lemons were planted on 51,592 acres in 2022, up from 48,657 acres in 2020.
Grapefruit accounted for 8,595 acres in 2022, up from 8,198 acres in 2020.
Pummelos and hybrids were planted on 1,230 acres in 2022, up from 1,139 acres in 2020.
Limes accounted for 561 acres in 2022, up from 517 acres in 2020.
Total reported citrus acreage (including bearing and nonbearing trees) in 2022 was 268,937 acres, up from 265,141 acres in 2020. The vast majority of acreage reported for all varieties was bearing fruit.
Tulare County had the most acreage in navel oranges (64,679), Valencia oranges (11,606), mandarins and mandarin hybrids (26,041) and pummelos and hybrids (933). Riverside County had the most grapefruit acreage (3,621), Ventura County led in lemon acreage (18,124), and San Diego County led in lime acreage (247).
The major source of the acreage data was a questionnaire mailed in January 2022 to all citrus growers in NASS’ database. The questionnaire included previously reported acreage information; producers were asked to update the information. New growers were mailed a blank questionnaire. Data collection ended in July 2022.
The report noted that a voluntary survey of 5,400 citrus growers is unlikely to ever attain 100% completeness. It also pointed out that it is difficult for NASS to detect growers who are planting citrus for the first time.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service
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Total citrus acreage in Florida dropped 8% in the past year, to 375,302 acres, according to the Commercial Citrus Inventory Preliminary Report. The report was released Sept. 7 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Photo by Tyler Jones, UF/IFASThe net loss of 32,046 acres is 19,942 acres more than was lost the previous season. New plantings, at 7,980 acres, are down from last season. All citrus trees, at 55.8 million, are down 7% from a year ago.
In 2004, the year before HLB disease was discovered in Florida, the state had 748,555 citrus acres. In 1996, the state had 857,687 citrus acres.
Of the 24 published counties included in the survey, 23 recorded decreases in acreage. Only Brevard County showed an increase, going from 347 acres in 2021 to 352 acres this year. Hendry County lost the most acreage, down 6,640 acres from the previous season to the current 51,260 acres. DeSoto County records the most citrus acres at 64,641, followed by Polk at 62,005 and Highlands at 52,092.
Orange acreage is now at 343,659 acres, down 8% from the previous season. Valencia acreage accounts for 60% of the total orange acreage, non-Valencia acreage represents 38%, and the remaining orange acreage is unidentified.
Grapefruit acreage is now at 17,997 acres, down 10% from the previous season. White grapefruit (including seedy) is 12% of the total with 2,091 acres, while red grapefruit is 87% of the total with 15,667 acres. The remaining 1% is unidentified.
Specialty fruit acreage, at 13,646 acres, is down 10% from the previous season. Tangerines and tangelos account for 60% of the specialty fruit, with 8,205 acres. The remaining acreage includes lemons and other citrus acreage, with a total of 5,441 acres.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service
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Florida’s citrus acreage declined another 3% in 2021, to 407,348 acres, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported Sept. 8. That’s the lowest level since the NASS started keeping track of the acreage in 1966. ACREAGE DETAILSThe net loss of 12,104 acres is 955 acres more than was lost last season. New plantings at 10,448 acres ...
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Interest in citrus continues to spike in North Florida and South Georgia. Georgia acreage has doubled over the past year. North Florida acreage has increased by another 300 to 400 this spring, says grower Kim Jones. He owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida, and is president of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association. “We’re seeing a whole lot of ...
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On Oct. 30, Alico, Inc. purchased approximately 3,280 gross citrus acres in Hendry County for $16.45 million. John Kiernan, company president and chief executive officer, said, “This acquisition of the Alexander Grove from the well-respected Gardinier Florida Citrus, Inc. allows Alico to add additional scale to our existing 45,000 gross acres of citrus properties.” “This Alexander Grove appears to have ...
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Alico, Inc. on Sept. 11 announced the state of Florida purchased, under the Florida Forever program, approximately 10,702 acres of Alico Ranch for $28.5 million. The transaction was pursuant to an option agreement between the state of Florida and Alico. John Kiernan, Alico president and chief executive officer, said the acreage was on the west side of the ranch. “This is ...
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A recent report by the American Farmland Trust (AFT) describes Florida as “one of the top 12 most threatened states in the nation due to the loss of farmland to poorly planned real estate development.” The report is called Farms Under Threat: The State of the States. See the AFT website, where state-by-state reports can be accessed. Between 2001 and ...
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In recent years, the iconic Florida citrus industry has been faced with challenges from devastating citrus greening to major hurricanes pummeling the state’s fruit groves. But industry members are doubling down on their commitment to ensure citrus and juice products remain synonymous with the Sunshine State. Peace River Citrus Products and Scott Family Companies and its partners announced they will ...
Read More The post Florida to Get 1,500 New Acres of Grapefruit appeared first on Citrus Industry Magazine.
Arcadia citrus grower V.C. Hollingsworth, chair of the Citrus Crop Estimates Advisory Committee, reacts to the recent Florida citrus acreage report and discusses tree health. Hollingsworth says the acreage count is “not down as far as I thought it might be.” On Aug. 28, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its Commercial Citrus Inventory, which indicated Florida ...
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Florida’s citrus acreage continued a long descent in 2018, decreasing 2 percent to 447,012 acres. The total number of acres is the least since the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service began keeping count in 1966. The 2018 count was released on Aug. 28. There was a gross loss of 20,114 acres in 2018, partially offset by new ...
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DeSoto County grower and Florida Citrus Commissioner V.C. Hollingsworth reacts to news that Florida’s citrus acreage declined 5 percent this year. “That kind of surprised me a little bit because I thought we’ve been planting back a lot of trees,” Hollingsworth says. “I think what it doesn’t show is the number of trees that we’re planting back, trees per acre. ...
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Florida lost another 25,148 acres of citrus in the past year, or 5 percent of the crop’s acreage, according to the annual Commercial Citrus Inventory released on August 31. The number of acres dropped to 454,973 from 480,121 in 2016. The inventory was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. “It turns out that our citrus ...
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