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Florida Farm Commodities
 Oranges
Florida Farm Commodities

Floridas 244 million-box orange crop in 1997-98 was the largest in history, but depressed prices keep growers from reaping record profits. The on-tree price of $3.61 for a 90-pound box accounted for a little over $880 million.

The overall value, with a delivered-in price of $5.41 a box, topped $1.3 billion for the second season in a row.

Florida growers accounted for 76.1 percent of the nations orange crop in 1997-98.

Florida Orange Production and Value
 

Year

Bearing Acreage

Yield (box)

Production (box)

Value (box)

On-Tree Value

1997-98

1996-97

1995-96

1994-95

1993-94

658,390

624,900

594,800

562,800

510,800

370

362

342

365

341

244,000,000

215,504,000

203,300,000

205,500,000

174,200,000

$3.61

$3.54

$4.68

$3.74

$4.09

$881,442,000

$801,344,000

$951,683,000

$767,924,000

$713,312,000

1992-93

1991-92

1990-91

1989-90

1988-89

489,200

444,300

420,900

399,500

388,700

381

315

360

276

377

186,600,000

139,800,000

151,500,000

110,200,000

146,600,000

$3.48

$5.93

$5.89

$6.21

$7.41

$649,713,000

$828,749,000

$892,675,000

$684,226,000

$1,086,319,000

1979-80

1969-70

1959-60

576,600

636,100

435,820

358

216

201

206,700,000

137,700,000

87,600,000

$3.72

$2.06

$2.42

$768,877,000

$284,357,000

$211,992,000
Box = 90 pounds
Source: Florida Agricultural Statistics Service

Leading Florida Orange-Producing States --- 1997-98

State

Bearing Acres

Production (box)

Total Value
Florida

California

Texas

Arizona

609,200

196,200

9,500

9,200

244,000,000

74,000,000

1,525,000

1,000,000

$1,320,166,000

$668,650,000

$5,914,000

$5,345,000
U.S. Total

824,100

320,525,000

$2,000,075,000


Leading Orange Producing States---1997-98

Leading Florida Orange-Producing Counties --- 1997-98
 

County

Total Acres

Total Trees

Production (box)

Estimated On-Tree Value
Polk

DeSoto

Highlands

Hendry

Hardee

84,974

63,458

67,492

86,519

48,976

9,646,700

8,256,700

8,944,000

13,475,300

5,559,800

34,627,000

28,959,000

28,819,000

27,156,000

22,885,000

$125,000,000

$104,542,000

$104,037,000

$98,015,000

$82,615,000
Martin

St. Lucie

Hillsborough

Collier

Manatee

Indian River

Lake

Osceola

Pasco

Charlotte

39,776

46,911

25,113

31,054

21,424

27,611

15,359

13,140

10,507

16,936

5,578,000

5,988,200

2,631,200

4,637,900

2,635,300

3,133,100

2,021,400

1,442,100

1,387,900

2,515,300

12,302,000

11,831,000

11,263,000

9,754,000

9,196,000

7,324,000

6,039,000

5,927,000

4,767,000

4,575,000

$44,410,000

$42,710,000

$40,659,000

$35,212,000

$33,198,000

$26,440,000

$21,800,000

$21,396,000

$17,209,000

$16,516,000
Lee

Orange

Glades

Okeechobee

Palm Beach

10,095

7,653

9,952

10,227

6,213

1,415,400

899,100

1,543,200

1,261,100

871,100

3,248,000

3,122,000

2,947,000

2,941,000

2,291,000

$11,725,000

$11,270,000

$10,639,000

$10,617,000

$8,270,000
Brevard

Sarasota

Seminole

Volusia

8,171

1,699

1,111

1,181

876,800

183,400

114,400

117,300

1,787,000

658,000

396,000

329,000

$6,451,000

$2,375,000

$1,429,000

$1,185,000
All others

2,472

174,900

142,000

$512,000
Florida Total

658,390

85,430,600

244,000,000

$881,442,000
Source: Florida Agricultural Service
Orange FactsOrange Facts
  • Oranges were brought to the New World by Christopher Columbus, and to the U.S. by Spanish explorers in the 16th century.
  • Florida is the second largest producer of oranges in the world following Brazil. In order of quantity produced, the top 10 orange-growing countries are: Brazil, United States, Mexico, Spain, Italy, China, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Greece.
  • Polk is Floridas leading orange producing county with more than 84,000 acres producing more than 34 million boxes, valued at more than $125 million in 1997-98.
  • The primary varieties of Florida oranges are Navel, Hamlin, Pineapple Orange and Valencia.

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