WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The decades-long decline in acreage used to grow oranges and other citrus fruits in Florida continued last year, with the share of land used to grow the state’s most famous fruit falling sharply again.

Figures released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week show that the total number of acres of land used to grow oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits in Florida fell 17 percent, from 332,256 to 274,705 acres.

That’s just under a third of the 832,275 acres reported by the USDA at the beginning of the century. The federal agency’s figures show that grapefruit production was by far the hardest hit. While more than 100,000 of the 118,245 acres were destroyed in 2000, the 14,316 acres that remain reflect a decline of 87%.

Aging trees and the growing number of people wanting to call Florida home have contributed to the decline, according to one expert.

“We’re seeing some of our older trees decline, so some of our acreage is shrinking. Plus, a lot of people are moving to Florida every day, so there are competing interests for that acreage,” said Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual.

However, Joyner added that the steady decline seen in all citrus categories since 2000 may soon end, but that farmers are currently playing it safe.

“A lot of the acreage we’re losing isn’t lost forever,” Joyner said. “I think a lot of it will go back into production as farmers look for new acreage. But for now, they’re taking care of what they have.”

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Citrus production increases

Despite the decline in area last year, citrus production has increased compared to the previous year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that nearly 18 million boxes of oranges were produced in the 2023-24 season, up nearly 14 percent from the previous year. All other citrus fruits, meanwhile, saw slight declines.

This increase means the provisional value of fruit on the tree is six percent higher than last year, at $221 million, compared to the revised figure for 2022-23 ($208 million).

When broken down by county, the USDA found that St. Lucie County grew more than one in every 10 boxes of citrus for the state. Treasure Coast County produced 2,153,000 of the approximately 20 million boxes produced in Florida. Indian River County and Okeechobee County produced 709,000 and 143,000 boxes, respectively.

No totals were provided for Martin County and Palm Beach County.

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