Production of all Florida orange varieties is estimated to drop 32% this season, according to USDA estimates released Oct. 12. The total estimate amounts to 28.0 million boxes.

Florida citrus production has steadily declined in recent years, due in large part to citrus canker. The new report does not specify how much of the anticipated decrease is due to Hurricane Ian, which ripped through Florida’s peninsula Sept. 29-30.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released this regular report in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which is based in Maitland, FL.

USDA Agricultural Statistics Board indicated that of the 28.0 million total orange production, 11.0 million boxes are non-Valencia oranges and 17.0 million boxes of Valencia oranges.

The 11 million boxes of non-Valencia Florida orange (early, mid-season, and Navel varieties) is 40% below the final count of 18.2 million boxes in 2021-22. Florida’s total production for 2020-21 was 22.7 million and for the year before that was 29.6 million boxes. 

  Valencia orange production in Florida this year is expected to drop 25%. 

The Navel orange forecast, at 300,000 boxes, accounts for 3% of the non-Valencia total.

The estimated number of bearing trees for all oranges is 44.0 million. 

The new USDA reports indicates a steep decline of total U.S. orange production since 2019-20, when the U.S. produced 122.8 million boxes. Subsquent total U.S. annual production, saw 103.0 million and, 81.6 million before this an estimated national orange production of 76.2 million boxes for 2022-23. Most of this decline is attributable to Florida.

In Florida only for 2022-23, all grapefruit production will be down 40 percent to two million boxes. Of this, 1.8 million are red and 200,000 boxes are white.

The forecast is for all Florida Tangerine and Tangelo to crop seven percent in 2022-23. This would amount to 700,000 boxes. Statistically speaking, California produces the rest the nation’s Tangerines and Tangelos, for a total of 20 million boxes in 2022-23.