ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) _ Florida’s orange crop remains unchanged from last month, but the state’s grapefruit crop declined slightly.
Federal agricultural officials said Tuesday that Florida is forecast to produce 69 million boxes this growing season, a figure unchanged from December.
The grapefruit estimate, though, dropped to 10.8 million boxes from 11.5 million boxes in December.
Florida’s citrus industry has been decimated in the past decade by the citrus greening disease.
If the forecasts hold steady for the rest of the season, Florida will produce 29 percent less oranges compared to last season and 16 percent less grapefruit.