The U.S. Department of Agriculture's March 2025 crop forecast estimates an output of 11.6 million boxes of oranges and 1.2 million boxes of grapefruit in Florida this month, a slight increase in production since February's projection.

The positive news offers what Matt Joyner, CEO at Florida Citrus Mutual, called "a glimmer of hope" that production may be on the road to recovery after the setbacks the state's industry has suffered, including several hurricanes and the ever-present citrus greening. 

In a press release by the organization, Joyner added that "with continued resources from the state and federal levels, Florida citrus growers can preserve Florida's citrus legacy as the iconic symbol of our state, providing jobs and shaping our culture for more than a century."

The statement also urged the citrus industry, academia, and the government to join forces in the fight to preserve the industry and emphasized the importance of investing in solutions. 

"On February 3, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the proposed Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget for 2025-2026 ahead of this year’s legislative session, which includes more than $20 million for the Citrus Health Response Program and other citrus research," the press release stated. "Of the $20 million, $7 million is for advertising and additional research through the Florida Department of Citrus to increase the production of trees and advance technologies that produce a tree resistant to citrus greening." 

On a lighter note, Joyner mentioned that disease-resistant varieties have surfaced in the last two years, giving growers hope of increasing their citrus production.