Available loads for citrus by produce haulers from Florida continue to shrink each month, although the declines are relative small. In the monthly estimate by the USDA, the Florida citrus in now down to 142 million boxes, a drop of nearly three percent.
Most of the decline for lthe 2012-13 crop is with Valencias, which was lowered to 3 million boxes to 76 million from the December estimate of the USDA. The early to mid season oranges decreased 1 million boxes to 66 million boxes.
Monthly estimates by the USDA with revisions will continue until the end of the season in July.
Among the reasons cited for the declines are rainfall, disease, fruit size and a significant dropping of fruit off the trees, which has made it quite tricky making crop forecasts. Most of the decrease is due to citrus droppping of the trees in the the early to middle season Valences, combined with the fruit being small in size.
Florida shipped about 146.6 million boxes of oranges during the 2011-2012 season.
The Sunshine state has litle change in the numbers for specialty fruit and grapefruit, with all numbers remaining the same. About 1.1 million boxes of tangelos and 3.8 million boxes of tangerines are forcast to be shipped.
Florida should load about 18 million boxes of grapefruit, according to the USDA.
Central Florida citrus – grossing about $2400 to New York City.