Early damage reports are coming in for the state’s citrus industry. Sabrina Hill reports.
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Some early damage reports are showing as much as one-fifth of the mandarin crop and nine percent of the orange crop statewide was lost due to last week’s freeze. And, the rising cost of protecting the citrus crop is now well over $20-million. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the worst is over, but those damage totals are just starting to come in. He says while there is some damage, it’s not nearly as bad as the freeze of 2007. That freeze caused over a $1-billion in damages, with some growers losing their entire crops.
It’s likely the crop damage and expense of protecting the crops will lead to higher prices at the grocery store.
Photo by Len Wilcox