A combination of bad weather and insects has made the price of orange juice skyrocket for a second year. Citrus greening has been a problem in Florida for a number of years and up to 90% of orchards in Florida have been affected by the disease, leading to reductions in yield. Farmers in Georgia and California are watching carefully to see if the disease moves into their states. In addition, according to this article in Yahoo News, “Hurricanes Ian and Nicole damaged much of 2023’s orange harvest in Florida, leading to skyrocketing prices — and Idalia did further damage to crops. While Idalia wasn’t as damaging as Ian — causing almost half a billion in agricultural damages overall, per estimates, compared to Ian’s billion-plus — it was still bad news for citrus farmers.” Another active tropical year in the Atlantic, which is expected due to the likely return to neutral or even La Nina conditions later this year, could cause additional problems for citrus farmers if another storm moves through the citrus-growing region of Florida.
