Troubled Harvest

Wintertime in southern Florida is the season for harvesting the citrus crop. For grapefruit grower Mark Wheeler, it’s the best time of the year. He enjoys getting into the groves to watch the crops mature and get excited about the upcoming harvest.

Florida produces about 2 million tons of grapefruit every year…more than any other state or nation. As much as 75 percent of the crop is processed for juice. The concern for growers like Wheeler is that fewer and fewer Americans are eating grapefruit. In the 1970’s the Americans ate more than 8 pounds per person on average. By 2003, that number had dropped by half. A 2005 study by the market research company, Mintel, found that less than half of Americans eat breakfast daily and those that do aren’t taking time to sit down and cut open citrus like grapefruit. So growers are looking for ways to make grapefruit more convenient…already sliced and packaged.

Another reason for the decline in popularity…studies have shown that grapefruit can intensify the effects of some prescription medicines. And the fruit and juice historically has been popular with folks over 50 — an age group more likely to use prescription drugs.

People aren’t just eating less…they’re also not drinking as much grapefruit juice.

Americans are drinking about half as much juice as they were 7 years ago when it was marketed as heart healthy. So, in 2003, Florida Citrus Growers targeted younger active women with the marketing campaign called “Sass in a Glass.” The industry is also combating a decline in U.S. sales by relying more on exporting. About 65 percent of grapefruit grown in Florida is sold overseas. But other challenges are harder to overcome…like the weather. Hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 decimated groves across the state — uprooting trees and causing 2.2 billion dollars in damage.

Besides the weather, another concern is a plant disease called citrus canker. The issue is so important that every visitor and every employee at every citrus grove is required to be sprayed whenever they come or go from the fields.

For now, Florida citrus growers say they will tackle the problems of weather, disease and popularity one at a time…facing the future with cautious optimism.

Website Link:
Florida Department of Citrus - http://www.floridajuice.com