Florida’s citrus growers say as much as 90 percent of citrus acreage and 80 percent of trees are infected by the deadly greening disease, which is making a huge dent in the state’s $10.7 billion citrus industry.
A survey by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences shows the first grower-based estimates of both the level of citrus greening in Florida and the impact of greening on citrus operations in the state.
Researchers conducted the survey in March of last year.
Citrus Greening was first detected in Florida in 2005 and threatens to destroy the state’s citrus industry, according to the University. Florida has lost about $7.8 billion in revenue, 162,000 some citrus acres and more than 7,500 jobs to citrus greening since 2007.
Further, orange production dropped from 242 million to 104 million boxes in 2014 because of the disease.
