CITRUS

COMMERCIAL CITRUS INVENTORY

PRELIMINARY REPORT September 17, 2004

ALL CITRUS ACREAGE DECREASED TO 748,555

Florida=s citrus acreage, declining for most of the past decade, totals 748,555 acres as of January 2004. A net decrease of 48,748 acres, 6.1 percent, has occurred in the past two years. Plantings during 2002 and 2003 totaled 40,127 acres, but were outstripped by removals at a rate of over 2:1. This gross loss of 88,875 acres is the largest amount in a non-freeze survey period since the initial survey in 1966. Diseases such as tristeza, citrus canker, and the citrus root weevil have contributed to the loss. Total trees at 97.9 million are down 5.1 percent from the 103.2 million trees in 2002.

Polk County is the leader with 95,050 acres of citrus, followed by Hendry with 93,155 and St. Lucie with 82,987. These three counties comprise over one-third of the citrus acreage in the state. Hendry continues to lead in total trees with 14.3 million and averages 153 trees per acre, 17 percent above the state average of 131trees per acre. Following in tree numbers are Polk with a density of 117 trees per acre and St. Lucie with 125. Acreage increased in three of the 31 counties in the past two years. Beginning with this report Miami-Dade County data is excluded.

ORANGE ACREAGE DECREASED TO 622,821

For the third consecutive survey all orange acres decreased. As of January 2004, there were 622,821 acres compared to 648,806 acres in 2002, a 4.0 percent loss. Current orange trees number 83.0 million compared to 85.8 million trees in 2002, a 3.2 percent loss. Bearing orange trees from this census (planted in 2000 and earlier years) are for use with the 2003‑2004 harvest season and total 75.4 million compared to 77.6 million in 2002.

Acreage decreased for all orange categories except other early and other midseason oranges which include the newer varieties. Hamlin acreage is 200,944, down 3.9 percent from the 209,009 acres reported in 2002. Navel acreage has decreased 17 percent to 16,340 from 19,752 in the previous census. Ambersweet acreage at 3,355 is down 37 percent from 2002 and 79 percent from the high of 15,704 in 1996. Valencias have a 1.2 percent decrease to 321,991 acres, compared with 325,758 in the previous census.

GRAPEFRUIT ACREAGE DECREASED TO 89,048

Nearly 40 percent of the grapefruit acreage has been lost since the record set in 1994. The 2004 total is 16 percent lower than in 2002. Colored varieties are down 12 percent from 62,328 acres in 2002 to 54,619 in 2004 while white seedless is 32,199 acres, down 20 percent from the 40,179 in 2002. Seedy grapefruit acreage, in a steady decline since the recorded high in 1968, is down 35 percent from 2002 at 1,236.

SPECIALTY ACREAGE DECREASED TO 36,686

Specialty citrus types decreased 15 percent to 36,686 in 2004 from 43,009 acres in 2002. Temple acreage continues to decline and is down 25 percent. Acreage declined for the fourth time for Fallglo and Sunburst early tangerine varieties. Honey tangerine acreage, down less than 1.0 percent, accounts for 45 percent of the total tangerine acreage. Tangelo acreage decreased 13 percent with the main variety (Orlando) down 23 percent, however Minneolas increased 1.2 percent. Lemon acreage increased 1.6 percent. The small quantities of Robinson and Dancy tangerines, limes, and K-Early Citrus are now included in Other Citrus.

Florida Commercial Citrus: Acreage
Census years	Oranges	Grapefruit	Specialty fruit	Total
1968	713,400	119,883	97,966	931,249
1970	715,806	124,050	101,615	941,471
1972	659,418	124,142	94,459	878,019
1974	642,431	130,326	91,341	864,098
1976	628,567	137,909	85,893	852,369
1978	616,020	136,342	78,873	831,235
1980	627,174	139,944	78,165	845,283
1982	636,864	139,939	71,053	847,856
1984	573,991	134,680	52,694	761,365
1986	466,252	117,845	40,395	624,492
1988	536,737	119,606	41,586	697,929
1990	564,809	125,300	42,658	732,767
1992	608,636	135,166	47,488	791,290
1994	653,370	146,915	53,457	853,742
1996	656,598	144,416	56,673	857,687
1998	658,390	132,817	54,053	845,260
1999	--	121,258	--	--
2000	665,529	118,145	48,601	832,275
2002	648,806	105,488	43,009	797,303
2004	622,821	89,048	36,686	748,555
Florida Commercial Citrus: Acreage changes between censuses
Census years	Two year change		Net change	Total
	Gross loss	New plantings
1968	13,910	87,077	+73,167	931,249
1970	26,114	36,336	+10,222	941,471
1972 ^2/	82,948	19,496	-63,452	878,019
1974	40,181	26,260	-13,921	864,098
1976	40,518	28,789	-11,729	852,369
1978 ^2/	49,127	27,993	-21,134	831,235
1980	25,925	39,973	+14,048	845,283
1982 ^2/	51,942	54,515	+2,573	847,856
1984 ^2/	159,719	73,228	-86,491	761,365
1986 ^2/	185,598	48,725	-136,873	624,492
1988	52,240	125,677	+73,437	697,929
1990 ^2/	85,858	120,696	+34,838	732,767
1992	74,704	133,227	+58,523	791,290
1994	45,214	107,666	+62,452	853,742
1996	35,947	39,892	+3,945	857,687
1998	49,325	36,898	-12,427