Florida’s Citrus industry faces uncertain future amid disease, hurricanes, and rapid development

Florida’s citrus industry, once synonymous with the Sunshine State, is at a breaking point as citrus groves give way to housing developments, and growers struggle with disease, extreme weather, and declining orange juice consumption.

For Trevor Murphy, a third-generation citrus grower in Lake Wales, Florida, the reality is clear as he surveys his family’s 20-acre grove, now surrounded by newly built homes.

“At some point, this isn’t going to be an orange grove anymore,” Murphy says, acknowledging the pressures driving many farmers to sell their land.

Mounting Pressures on Citrus Growers

Florida’s orange groves have faced devastating setbacks over the last two decades, including:
✅ Citrus Greening Disease – A deadly bacterial infection spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, with no known cure.
✅ Extreme Weather – Hurricanes Irma (2017), two hurricanes in 2022, and two more in 2024 have repeatedly crippled orange production.
✅ Declining Demand – Orange juice consumption has been dropping for 20 years, despite a small spike during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The combined impact has led to a 90% decline in Florida’s orange production in the last two decades. Once covering over 832,000 acres, citrus groves have now shrunk to just 275,000 acres, with California surpassing Florida as the nation’s top citrus producer.

Developers Buying Up Citrus Land

At the same time, Florida’s booming population is driving a real estate surge. Polk County, home to the largest citrus acreage in the state, was the fastest-growing county in the U.S. in 2023.

As a result, many multigenerational citrus families are selling their groves to developers for millions of dollars with some land selling for as much as $25,000 per acre. Alico Inc., one of Florida’s biggest citrus growers, recently announced it would wind down operations on 53,000 acres, dealing another blow to the industry.

“Losing the citrus industry is not an option,” said Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, emphasizing citrus’s deep connection to the state’s identity and economy.

Searching for Solutions

As growers struggle to survive, researchers are racing to develop a disease-resistant orange tree. Scientists at the University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center have spent eight years developing a genetically modified tree that can kill the psyllids responsible for citrus greening. However, it could take at least three years before these trees can be planted at scale.

Other potential solutions include:
🔹 Protective Screens & Tree Covers – Keeping insects away from young trees.
🔹 Antibiotic Injections – Testing treatments to slow the spread of citrus greening.
🔹 Resistant Trees – Identifying naturally resistant citrus trees for mass production.

Despite the setbacks, Murphy and others aren’t giving up yet.

“I would like to think that we’re at the bottom, and we’re starting to climb back up that hill,” Murphy says, hoping for a turnaround before it’s too late.

With 33,000 jobs and a $6.8 billion industry at stake, the fight to save Florida’s citrus legacy is far from over.