Though
assessments of how the industry has survived the sizable weather event are
still very much underway, some growers and shippers are reporting better than
anticipated outcomes.
"It was
not going to be a great season to begin with citrus greening and people going
out of business, etc. Every year that is taking its toll. However, I think it
was anticipated that when Milton was coming, it was going to destroy
everything. It did cause damage but not as bad as we'd originally
thought," says Nick Bernal of Seasons Farm Fresh.
With that,
this week the grower-shipper is beginning to ship some fruit already. Most of
its suppliers are in the northern part of the state closer to Tallahassee in
the Sweet Valley citrus region (which is comprised of north Florida, south
Alabama, and south Georgia)--an area that had minimal Milton impact. However, the region had been affected by
the earlier hurricane this month, Hurricane Helene. "They got hit but not
as badly as last year. Last year they took a direct hit and lost quite a bit
but this year, they've only lost some fruit," says Bernal. For example,
Satsuma mandarins from the region look as though they will still be harvesting
on time in about two to three weeks.
That said,
Bernal says throughout the rest of Florida, growers are reporting citrus
impacts in the form of fruit on the ground floor, floating in the groves, wind
damage, and more. "I think there
was more damage from the wind than from the water," he says.
So what lies
ahead? Bernal says some growers and shippers have already started picking and
degreening fruit, though Seasons Farm Fresh doesn't typically start until the
beginning of November when Hamlins for example have a little bit more color and
flavor.
"With
the orange crop being lighter to begin with, I'm sure juice prices will be
higher," he says. "Citrus
prices have been pretty high going into our season. Florida has less fruit
and places like Texas and Mexico are putting in more citrus. Let's see how the
overall market will react with less Florida fruit on the market."