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Citrus
In the late 1800's, citrus was produced in north Florida. Following
the freeze of 1894, citrus moved south to the Gainesville/Ocala
area and  the
east coast of Florida. In the 1950's, 60's, 70's, and 80's, citrus
received fairly regular freezes that continued to force it further
south within the state. The severe freeze of December 1962 pushed
citrus to areas south of Lake Okeechobee interior from both the
west coast and the east coast of Florida.
As a result of the major freezes in the mid 1980's, much of the
citrus industry in central Florida moved south of the freeze line.
This is arbitrarily considered State Road 60 which runs from Tampa
to Vero Beach. This significantly changed the dynamics of the citrus
industry. New groves were planted much more densely meaning larger
crops sooner on these new plantings. The result in the late 1990's
has been an excess of fruit produced and reduced prices for the
growers.
 The
Indian River citrus production district makes up a portion of Palm
Beach County citrus. Growers within that area have the opportunity
to market their fruit as Indian River fruit which, over the years,
has received premium prices based on its superior quality. The citrus
groves in Palm Beach County are planted generally on raised beds
to facilitate drainage and a deeper root system while making them
easier to manage.
The primary crops grown are early and mid season oranges, 4,622
acres, and late oranges such as Valencias, 2,919 acres, with white
and pink grapefruit making up the following acreages respectively,
1,173 and 1,458. Palm Beach County is unique in having a citrus
grove that, while small, is historically important, having been
planted prior to the turn of the century.
Citrus Canker
That grove, which is in the Jupiter area, is now less than 30 acres,
but will be preserved as a part of our park system for Palm Beach
County. The area known as the Loxahatchee area was planted in the
20's and 30's as Loxahatchee Groves and was a place for citrus production
and some residents.
Citrus in Palm Beach County is an important part of the agricultural
industry. It reached its peak in total acreage following the severe
freeze of 1962. Over 12,000 acres of citrus were planted in the
County following that event. The total acreage in Palm Beach County
came to approximately 17,000 acres during that time. At present
there are around 12,746 acres in production.
 There
are a number of fresh fruit outlets in Palm Beach County and residents,
as well as tourists, benefit from having the opportunity to purchase
citrus directly at grove sites. The future of citrus in Palm Beach
County, while not in doubt, will have to deal with development pressures
and other pressures that might make the business of citrus production
more difficult.
The urban development pressures along the coast coincide with the
plantings of most of the citrus in Palm Beach County. At present
planners and owners alike are dealing with how to address the future
fate of citrus production locally. The Palm Beach County Extension
is assisting planners in making these assessments.
Citrus Web Sites
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