After Hurricane Ian, Florida citrus and agriculture struggle

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ZOLFO SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — The thousands of oranges scattered on the ground by Hurricane Ian’s fierce winds are only the start of the disaster for citrus growers. Citrus is a $6 billion business in Florida, with more than 375,000 acres in the state devoted to oranges, grapefruit, tangerines. Hurricane Ian also hit the state’s large cattle industry, dairy operations, vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, and even hundreds of thousands of bees. The orange forecast for 2022-2023 was released Wednesday. It production at 32% below the year before and does not account for damage from the hurricane. Most Florida oranges are used to make juice.