Cold Weather Crushes Citrus Industry
Chad Kelly

January freezing temperatures in Florida have wreaked havoc on the vulnerable citrus crops of farmers who provide the majority of the country’s citrus products. 

The Florida citrus industry is worth almost 9.3 billion dollars overall and provides three fourths of the United States’s citrus as well as forty percent of the world’s orange juice (reuters.com).  Citrus trees hardly ever survive in weather that is twenty degrees or colder for long periods of time.  Florida Citrus Mutual officials said the north (Lake County) and west side of the citrus belt along Pasco, east Hillsborough, western Polk, Desoto, Hardee and Hendry counties received the brunt of cold temperatures. The Central region and Indian River region appeared to come through in decent shape, the officials said, but there could be isolated or low lying areas where damage occurred. 

After a week's worth of freezing temperatures across most of the state, Putnam is asking for a formal request from the state to help the Department of Agriculture with the problems (insurancejournal.com).  So far, the farmers do not know if the trees have damage, but, the twig and leaf damage is very bad, this could affect the 2010/2011 crop. 

This freeze could also hurt the seasonal flower bloom on trees.  Florida’s governor has signed an emergency order to deal with the cold weather threatening the state’s agriculture industry.  Throughout central and south Florida, farmers are trying to salvage millions of dollars worth of citrus and vegetable crops, spraying them in protective layers of ice and covering them in plastic (www.tbo.com).  This period of freezing weather is very unusual for central and south Florida.  The only good thing about the cold weather is that it kills off the pests and weeds that grow in the groves and attack the citrus trees.