Loading
Polk County has been squeezed out of its No. 1 ranking as Florida's top citrus-producing county.
A citrus leader in the state since the 1950s, Polk County fell to third place in total boxes for the 2015-2016 season, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released in mid-September. The No. 1 county for the year, with 14.3 million boxes of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and tangelos, is Hendry, followed by DeSoto. Polk is third, with 12.5 million boxes.
Florida produced 94.2 million boxes in 2015-16 — a 16.5% drop from the previous season.
The drop is the continuation of a decade-long statewide slide in citrus production, which stems from a bacterial greening disease that shrinks the yield trees produce. For example, growers produced more than 290 million boxes in the 2003-04 season.
In addition to the drop in boxes, Polk is also reeling in total acres and trees for citrus. On space, the county has fallen from 81,696 citrus acres in 2013 to 76,455 in 2016, according to USDA data. Total trees have dropped slightly, from 9.92 million in 2013 to 9.54 million in 2016.
Above are the top 10 citrus-producing counties in Florida for the 2015-2016 season.
County Total boxes
Hendry 14.3 million
DeSoto 12.8 million
Polk 12.5 million
Highlands 9.7 million
Hardee 8.4 million
St. Lucie 6.69 million
Collier 6.67 million
Indian River 5.9 million
Manatee 3.3 million
Charlotte 2.7 million
Note: Lee County is 11th in Florida, with 2.1 million boxes in the 2015-2016 season.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
