ORLANDO, Fla. — Federal leaders are expecting this year’s orange crop will fall to its lowest level since the Great Depression.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting Florida farmers to produce about 20 million boxes of oranges.
Read: National park in Florida shutdown after hundreds of migrants make landfall
That would be a 51% drop from last year.
It would also be the smallest crop since the 1936 season.
Read: ‘Fog bow’ spotted in Central Florida; what is it?
Officials are blaming extreme weather and a citrus disease for the low supply.
Analysts are predicting that a surge in orange juice prices will go into in 2023.
Read: Gas prices are sharply on the rise in Florida
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group