Initial estimates suggest that the cotton crop in Georgia will be reduced by 20 percent, down 400,000 bales from the pre-hurricane estimate. Florida Citrus Mutual representing growers and packers confirmed a similar reduction in citrus production among the five largest growing counties in central Florida. Crop damage from wind and flooding is financially devastating to growers who are still recovering from an outbreak of citrus greening that has affected 90 percent of the state industry.
It is inevitable that orange juice will increase in price since supplies from Brazil will be limited by that nation’s ongoing drought.