The 2024 Commercial Citrus Inventory for Florida shows total citrus acreage of 274,705 acres, down 17% from the 2023 annual survey. The net loss of 57,551 acres is 14,505 acres more than was lost the previous year. New plantings at 4,751 acres are down from 2023, when 6,203 acres were planted.
The inventory was released Aug. 29 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Commercial citrus in 23 counties showed decreases in acreage. Hendry County lost the most acreage, down 12,374 acres from the previous season. Polk County leads in citrus acreage with 58,516 acres, followed by Desoto County at 51,800 acres.
Florida orange acreage is now at 248,028 acres, down 18% from the previous season. Valencia acreage now accounts for 63% of the total orange acreage, non-Valencia acreage represents 35% and the remaining orange acreage is unidentified.
Grapefruit acreage is now at 14,316 acres, down 10% from last year.
Specialty fruit acreage, at 12,361 acres, is down 6% from 2023. Tangerines and tangelos account for 58% of the specialty fruit, with 7,189 acres. The remaining specialty fruit acreage is other citrus varieties, with a total of 5,172 acres or 42%.
In 2000, Florida acreage totaled 832,275 citrus acres, more than three times the current total. The total acreage in 2000 was comprised of 665,529 orange acres, 118,145 grapefruit acres and 48,601 specialty fruit acres.
The largest net loss of total acreage since 2000 was 127,182 acres, reported in 2006, a year after the devastating HLB disease was discovered in Florida. At that time, USDA NASS was reporting citrus acreage only every two years. Historical annual acreage reporting resumed in 2008.
With the exception of specialty fruit, all citrus varieties have seen declining acreage in every report since 2000. Specialty fruit acreage increased every year from 2018 to 2021, when specialty fruit reached 15,086 acres before declining to 13,646 acres in 2022.
Source: USDA NASS
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