Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its January citrus forecast for the 2022-2023 season:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its January citrus forecast for the 2022-2023 season:
“Today’s forecast is another sobering reminder that Florida’s citrus industry faces real challenges – like citrus greening, rising costs to growers and consumers due to inflation, and ongoing hurricane recovery efforts. The continued decline of Florida citrus has impacts well beyond the grove, as so many of our rural communities are interwoven with citrus production. However, I am confident that Florida will meet these challenges head on with a commonsense approach to support our state’s growers and world-renowned citrus industry.”
USDA’s January forecast [ Adobe PDF Document ] for all Florida oranges decreased by 2 million boxes, bringing the new forecast total for the 22-23 season to 18 million boxes. USDA also forecast a slight decrease in Florida grapefruit production, projecting 300,000 less boxes, for a new season total of 1.5 million boxes.
Commissioner Simpson has fought for Florida’s citrus industry long before being elected as Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Simpson secured key investments for citrus protection and research, including fully funding the Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP) at $13.3 million; fully funding the request for citrus greening research at $16 million; fully funding Florida citrus marketing at $35 million; prevented tax increases to the citrus industry through citrus supplemental funding totaling $2 million; and investing more than $2 million in staff, research and infrastructure for the Donaldson citrus variety, which has been described as a “beacon of hope” for the industry in its fight against citrus greening.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
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