Citrus production in the 2020-21 season dipped in California, Florida, Texas and Arizona compared to the previous season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) recently reported that total U.S. output of 6.9 million tons of citrus was down 12% from 2019-20.
Florida
Florida’s total utilized production was down 21%. Oranges were off 22% and grapefruit dipped 15%. Florida had 38% of total U.S. production.
Value and Acreage
The value of the 2020-21 U.S. citrus crop was down 3% from last season, to $3.31 billion. Orange production value dropped 7%, and grapefruit value climbed 11%. The value of tangerines and mandarins was up 2%; lemon value was down slightly.
Total U.S. bearing citrus acreage dropped to 668,100 acres from 681,300 in 2019-20. Florida, which has the most citrus acres at 369,300, dropped from 380,500 bearing acres in 2019-20.
See the full U.S. Citrus Fruits 2021 Summary.
The USDA/NASS also issued a detailed report on Florida’s citrus acres and crop value. That report showed that Florida’s total acreage, including both bearing and non-bearing acreage, declined 3% in 2021 to 407,348 acres, and that on-tree value of $579 million was 17% less than the previous year.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service