Blog : January 11. 2010

11Jan10

This has been the coldest winter in years, and it’s not only affecting us, but it is also affecting some of our favorite American fruits. Florida, which is the ‘sunny’ state, has seen some temperatures in the teens. This is affecting our citrus fruits. Florida is one of the only places in America that can grow citrus fruits because its temperature stays consistent year-round. Temperatures in Miami, which would normally be around 75 degrees at this time of year, barely reached the 40s yesterday. Once the temperature gets that low, the citrus plants cannot survive. They can only stand that temperature for about four hours. This sudden drastic drop in temperature could be trouble for the orange juice market. According the the article, “Florida citrus is a $9.3 billion industry. The state produces three-quarters of the United States’ orange crop and 40 percent of the world’s orange juice supply.” So, if these oranges and other citrus fruits fail to live through the brutal winter, the amount of money spent to get the citrus market back on track could cost a lost of money not to mention the time citrus workers would have to work. In conclusion, this potential freeze of the citrus orchards could greatly affect the economy and cause the loss of jobs. Citrus farmers are already working 7 days a week and there is no way that they can work any harder than they already are.