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Florida Without the Orange

January 30th, 2015 by flanews

What would Florida be without the beloved orange? As Matt Galka tells us, the state’s agriculture commissioner says we’re almost at the point where that thought has to be considered.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam laid it out in plain English.  Oranges and other citrus grown in Florida are in trouble.  The state has been battling a crop disease for the better part of a decade called Citrus Greening.

“We are seeing the smallest crops we’ve seen in the modern era, we’re seeing small and medium size growers unable to set a crop at a profit, and there’s no good Plan B,” said Putnam.

The state’s citrus industry employs about 76,000 people and generates around $10 billion dollars a year, but the disease has caused that number to go down by about one billion dollars a year since 2007.  Florida TaxWatch CEO Dominic Calabro says it effects more than growers.

“The stores, the wholesalers, the transporters, the retail outlets, and most importantly the consumers,” he said.

Putnam says the state and federal money to combat the disease isn’t the problem.

“Unfortunately it is not a matter of resources at this time, it’s a matter of a race against the clock,” said Putnam.

While the clock continues to tick, Florida’s brand – the fruit proudly displayed on the license plate – hangs in the balance. The rest of the country has an interest, too. More than 60% of all citrus consumed in the U.S. comes from the Sunshine State.

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