Latest news with #TrevorMurphy
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Farmers warn of rising food prices as extreme conditions threaten supply: 'It's been bone dry down here for the past two months'
Farmers in Florida are facing difficulties due to extreme weather events in the region. As a result, they're warning consumers that they could see higher food prices soon. According to Blue Book, recent weather in Florida has growers in the region concerned about their crops. Currently, temperatures are moving into the 90s, and there has been little rain in recent months, as well as none forecast in the near future. Growers are preoccupied with the 2025 hurricane season, which early forecasts predict will see above-average activity. As a result of these conditions and potentially volatile months ahead, crops in the region — including beans, bell peppers, and squash — could feel the squeeze, causing food prices to rise. Those growing citrus aren't faring much better, either. Fox Weather reported that last year's hurricane season caused a drop in citrus crops. Meanwhile, 82% of the state is currently in a drought, while 16% is in extreme drought, significantly affecting crops. Citrus growers also have to contend with a disease known as citrus greening, which can kill off citrus trees. Citrus grower Trevor Murphy told Fox Weather, "It's been bone dry down here for the past two months. We've received one inch of rain, and that was over a month ago." As global temperatures continue to rise, more extreme weather, such as droughts and hurricanes, will decrease crop yields and affect consumers. Fewer yields mean fewer food items at the grocery store, which also means that what food is on the shelves will increase in price. Plus, if farmers lose money on crops or have to up their investment to grow the crops needed, prices will increase even more. Growers in Florida may even begin to cease operations, much like Alico Inc., which decided to shut down citrus growing operations at the beginning of 2025. Fewer growers result in fewer jobs and less produce; less produce affects not only the availability of fruits and vegetables on the shelves but also products made with this produce. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. There's the damage droughts and hurricanes can cause to the environment to consider, too, such as worse soil to grow in, less water for crops, and fields of ruined crops with which to contend. Citrus growers in the state might see help in the near future, as the state Senate has put forth a proposal that would set aside $200 million for the cost of new citrus trees, testing varieties of disease-resistant citrus, and improving grove management. As for other crop growers, scientists have been hard at work exploring ways to make crops more climate-resilient, how to grow crops with less water, and more. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Florida citrus production drops as growers battle weather, disease to survive
SEBRING, Fla. – A combination of weather and disease has posed significant challenges for Florida farmers. Trevor Murphy, a third-generation citrus grower, noted that his farm had the lowest crop in about a century. "Last year, we had Hurricane Milton that came through, so we dropped from 18 million boxes to roughly 11 million boxes this year," Murphy told FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen. In addition to hurricanes, drought has plagued Florida, where 82% of the state is in drought with 16% in extreme drought. "It's been bone dry down here for the past two months," he said. "We've received 1 inch of rain, and that was over a month ago. So we're hoping and waiting for some rain." Florida Citrus Growers Brace For Smallest Production In 95 Years Following Hurricanes, Disease However, the weather is not the only factor farmers like Murphy have to contend with. One factor in particular has caused the number of boxes harvested to plummet from about 133 million in earlier years. Murphy said that the main culprit is a disease known as citrus greening. One of the most serious diseases in the world, it can cause infected citrus trees to die within a few years, according to the USDA. The disease is carried by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid, which Florida farmers have been battling for about 20 years, Murphy said. Because of the insect and the deadly disease it carries, citrus farmers have had to innovate the ways they care for their trees. "We're farming a lot smarter and harder than we used to," Murphy said. How To Watch Fox Weather Some of the methods farmers adopted is spoonfeeding micronutrients and fertilizers to the trees, along with timing their sprays differently and watering their trees with smaller, but more frequent, doses of article source: Florida citrus production drops as growers battle weather, disease to survive
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida's citrus industry, once thriving, is now in decline
MIAMI (NewsNation) — Florida's citrus industry is facing a crisis with a trifecta of challenges threatening its survival: Frequent hurricanes, rapid population growth and citrus greening disease. According to the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, In 2021, the citrus industry contributed nearly $7 billion to the state's economy and was responsible for more than 30,000 jobs. However, in recent years, citrus has suffered. These issues have caused a 90% decline in orange production over the past two decades. Citrus groves in Florida, which covered more than 832,00 acres at the turn of the century, populated scarcely 275,000 acres last year. US importing more eggs as bird flu continues to spread According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Florida Citrus Mutual, production of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and tangelos are all down from last year. The Sunshine State, once the leading citrus producer, is now number 2 behind California. Hurricanes have played a major role in this decline. 'Since 2017, we've had Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Milton come through the citrus belt,' said Trevor Murphy, a citrus grower. 'On top of that, we also had some freezes, the first time that we've had in probably 10-plus years. The trees are already in a weakened state because of the greening.' Since 2020, more than half a dozen storms have made landfall. Many, including Hurricanes Ian and Milton, went right over Central and South Florida, where citrus groves are located. AI to be used in Taco Bell, Pizza Hut restaurants The University of Florida estimates that Hurricane Milton alone caused between $23 and $55 million in damage to the industry. Greening disease, caused by a bacteria spread by a tiny insect, has further devastated the industry. Once a tree is infected, there is no cure, and the disease has resulted in a 90% reduction in Florida's citrus production since 2006. Growers have resorted to measures such as wrapping trees in mesh bags to try to protect them. Scientists at the University of Florida are working to breed some varieties of trees that, when they are infected, can still produce fruit. While it will still be a few years until the trees that can survive the disease are ready to be planted, it is offering hope to growers. Beyond the farming challenges, citrus is used to make candy, jams and jellies, and orange juice. Consumers are drinking less orange juice, and citrus growers are folding up their operations in the state. Tropicana, which used to be the leading supplier of orange juice in the market, is struggling to stay afloat. Is there a car loan bubble and is it about to burst? Additionally, as more people flock to Florida and growers are selling land to developers, the demand for housing has led to the conversion of citrus groves into residential developments. Polk County, Florida's top citrus producer, is also the fastest-growing county in the state. In 2023, it saw the largest population increase of any county in the U.S., with new homes being built on land that was once dedicated to citrus farming. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Citrus growers in Florida face decline due to greening disease
FLORIDA (WMBB) – Trevor Murphy's family has been growing Florida citrus for decades. 'I'm a third-generation citrus grower. My grandfather started in the 50's. My father and my uncles are still involved in it,' Murphy said. As he drives his dad's 20-acre grove in Lake Wales he points out the cookie-cutter homes encroaching on the orange trees from all sides. 'It seems like every new time I drive through, there's another grove that's been abandoned,' Murphy added. Lake Wales is in Polk County. There are more acres of citrus here than any other county in Florida. But in 2023, more people moved to Polk County than any other county in the United States. Landowners can make more money selling to developers than growing citrus. And farmers are also constantly battling nature. 'So since 2017, we've had Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Milton come through the citrus belt. And then on top of that, we also had some freezes, the first time that we've had in probably 10-plus years. The trees are already in a weakened state because of the greening,' Murphy said. 'Well citrus greening is a devastating bacterial disease that affects citrus and just a few of its relatives. Since the disease came to florida, the industry has declined significantly. Since 2006 alone, it's been reduced by about 90%. So this has been absolutely devastating,' UF entomology professor Lukasz Stelinski said. Troy University fraternity raises $140K for veterans 'Just in my time, we went from roughly 150 million boxes in the state of florida to this year, we might be lucky to pick 10 million boxes,' Stelinski said. The result of these catastrophes has been a 90% decline in orange production the past two decades. In 2000, Florida's citrus groves covered more than 832,000 acres. Last year there were just 275,000 acres. California has eclipsed Florida as the nation's leading citrus producer. Even so, the citrus industry employs 33,000 full-time and part-time workers with an economic impact of $6.8 billion in Florida alone. There are juice processors, grove caretakers, fertilizer sellers, packing houses, nurseries, and candy manufacturers. Tom Davidson's parents founded David of Dundee citrus candy and jelly factory in Lake Wales in 1966. He says the drop in citrus production has impacted the flavor of jellies they produce and their prices. 'The size of the fruit has been affected. You know, obviously we had giant honeybells, navels, grapefruit — I mean these were massive. Don't see that, you know, as much either,' Davidson said. All are sticking it out, hoping to survive long enough to see science solve the greening this might be a possible solution. Researchers have been working for eight years on a genetically modified tree that can kill the tiny insects responsible for citrus greening. The process involves inserting a gene into a citrus tree that produces a protein that can kill baby Asian citrus psyllids by making holes in their guts. 'This tree contains the genetic instructions for a pesticidal protein that is produced within the tree and kills psyllids, which are the vectors of the pathogen that causes citrus greening,' Davidson said. But it could be at least three years before bug-resistant trees can be planted. In the meantime, florida growers will look to other technologies, like planting trees inside protective screens, covering young trees with white bags to keep out the bugs, injecting trees with antibiotics, and getting the most use out of trees that have become resistant to greening. 'We're really hoping that scientists can get this figured out, so we can get back to what we do. I mean, we were citrus farmers for forever, and we're hoping we can do that and keep it going.' Citrus greening was first discovered in South China in 1943. It reached Florida in 2005, and within three years had spread to the majority of citrus farms. It has threatened the entire U.S. citrus industry. As of 2009, 33 countries had reported infections in their citrus crops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
16-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hit by storms and disease, Florida's citrus growers try to survive until bug-free trees arrive
LAKE WALES, Fla. (AP) — As Trevor Murphy pulls up to his dad's 20-acre (8-hectare) grove in one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, he points to the cookie-cutter, one-story homes encroaching on the orange trees from all sides. 'At some point, this isn't going to be an orange grove anymore,' Murphy, a third-generation grower, says as he gazes at the rows of trees in Lake Wales, Florida. 'You look around here, and it's all houses, and that's going to happen here.' Polk County, which includes Lake Wales, contains more acres of citrus than any other county in Florida. And in 2023, more people moved to Polk County than any other county in the country. Population growth, hurricanes and a vicious citrus greening disease have left the Florida orange industry reeling. Consumers are drinking less orange juice, citrus growers are folding up their operations in the state and the major juice company Tropicana is struggling to stay afloat. With huge numbers of people moving into Florida's orange growing areas, developers are increasingly building homes on what were once orange groves. Many growers are now making the difficult decision to sell orange groves that have been in their families for generations to developers building homes to house the growing population. Others, like Murphy, are sticking it out, hoping to survive until a bug-free tree or other options arrive to repel the disease or treat the trees. Mounting concerns When Hurricane Irma blasted through the state's orange belt in 2017, Florida's signature crop already had been on a downward spiral for two decades because of the greening disease. Next came a major freeze and two more hurricanes in 2022, followed by two hurricanes last year. A tree that loses branches and foliage in a hurricane can take three years to recover, Murphy said. Those catastrophes contributed to a 90% decline in orange production over the past two decades. Citrus groves in Florida, which covered more than 832,00 acres (336,698 hectares) at the turn of the century, populated scarcely 275,000 acres (111,288 hectares) last year, and California has eclipsed Florida as the nation's leading citrus producer. 'Losing the citrus industry is not an option. This industry is ... so ingrained in Florida. Citrus is synonymous with Florida,' Matt Joyner, CEO of trade association Florida Citrus Mutual told Florida lawmakers recently. Nevertheless, Alico Inc., one of Florida's biggest growers, announced this year that it plans to wind down its citrus operations on more than 53,000 acres (21,000 hectares), saying its production has declined by almost three-quarters in a decade. That decision hurts processors, including Tropicana, which rely on Alico's fruit to produce orange juice and must now operate at reduced capacity. Orange juice consumption in the U.S. has been declining for the past two decades, despite a small bump during the COVID-19 pandemic. A prominent growers group, the Gulf Citrus Growers Association, closed its doors last year. Location, location, location Pressure on citrus farming is also growing from one of the state's other biggest industries: real estate. Florida expanded by more than 467,000 people last year to 23 million people, making it the third largest state in the nation. And more homes must be built to house that ever-growing population. Some prominent, multigenerational citrus families each have been putting hundreds of acres (hectares) of groves up for sale for millions of dollars, or as much as $25,000 an acre. Murphy owns several hundred acres (hectares) of groves and says he has no plans to abandon the industry, though last year he closed a citrus grove caretaking business that managed thousands of acres for other owners. However, he also has a real estate license, which is useful given the amount of land that is changing hands. He recently sold off acres in Polk County to a home developer, and has used that money to pay off debt and develop plans to replant thousands of trees in more productive groves. 'I would like to think that we're at the bottom, and we're starting to climb back up that hill,' Murphy says. A bug-free tree A whole ecosystem of businesses dependent on Florida citrus is at risk if the crops fail, including 33,000 full-time and part-time jobs and an economic impact of $6.8 billion in Florida alone. Besides growers, there are juice processors, grove caretakers, fertilizer sellers, packing houses, nurseries and candy manufacturers, all hoping for a fix for citrus greening disease. Tom Davidson, whose parents founded Davidson of Dundee Citrus Candy and Jelly Factory in Lake Wales in 1966, says the drop in citrus production has impacted what flavor jellies the business is able to produce and the prices it charges to customers. 'We're really hoping that the scientists can get this figured out so we can we can get back to what we did,' Davidson says. Researchers have been working for eight years on a genetically modified tree that can kill the tiny insects responsible for citrus greening. The process involves inserting a gene into a citrus tree that produces a protein that can kill baby Asian citrus psyllids by making holes in their guts, according to Lukasz Stelinski, an entomology professor at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences' Citrus Research and Education Center. It could be at least three years before bug-resistant trees can be planted, leaving Florida growers looking for help from other technologies. They include planting trees inside protective screens and covering young trees with white bags to keep out the bugs, injecting trees with an antibiotic, and finding trees that have become resistant to greening through natural mutation and distributing them to other groves. 'It's kind of like being a Lions fan before the Detroit Lions started to win games,' Stelinski says. 'I'm hoping that we are making that turnaround.'
