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Hurricane Ian caused up to $1.56 billion in agricultural losses, according to preliminary estimate

Greening is a disease that weakens citrus trees. The fruit becomes unusable. Photo by Amy Green / WMFE
Greening is a disease that weakens citrus trees. The fruit becomes unusable. Photo by Amy Green / WMFE

Hurricane Ian is responsible for between $787 million and $1.56 billion in agriculture losses in Florida, according to a preliminary estimate. 

The hurricane pounded some 5 million acres of agricultural lands. Among the hardest-hit were Florida’s iconic citrus crop, along with vegetables, melons and livestock. 

Christa Court is director of the University of Florida program that produced the estimate.  

“Citrus is just about to start their harvest season. So that crop was out there and affected probably at the worst time, when the fruit was just big enough and about to be ready to harvest.” 

Florida leads the nation in orange production for juice. The industry has been battered in recent years by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and also the spread of citrus greening disease. 

 

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.