Early Citrus Damage Reports

Taylor Hillman Citrus, Specialty Crops, Tree, nut & vine crops

frozen-mandarin
Early damage reports are coming in for citrus crops in the San Joaquin Valley. Sabrina Hill has more.
Click to open or download audio report.

Fruit inspectors are finding damage caused by last week’s freezing temperatures. The near-record low temperatures were a major threat to the state’s citrus crop, which at the time of the freeze was still about 80 to 85 percent unharvested. The freeze can cause ice crystals to form inside the fruit, which was the case for at least one grove in Kern County, where inspectors found damaged navel oranges. The ice crystals rupture juice sacks inside oranges and other citrus, leaving them dried out and unmarketable.

The full effects of the damage can take a few days to show. Inspectors will be back out at orange groves around the state next week.