The price of orange juice on the wholesale market is rising again. Due to the passage of Hurricane Milton last week, Florida is heading for the worst orange harvest in a century.
Milton blew citrus fruits off the branches and ripped out trees last week. Experts estimate a loss of three million boxes of oranges as a result of the storm. Florida would therefore have the worst harvest since the 1920s.
The price for orange juice on the New York commodity exchange rose to a record last month. Drought in Brazil – the largest exporter worldwide – and tight supplies are pushing up prices. Orange juice also becomes more expensive after passing through Milton.
Hurricane Milton was very inconvenient for citrus growers in Florida, the largest producer of oranges for juice in the US. Growers had just managed to make progress in the fight against citrus greening disease or yellow dragon disease: a disease that destroys entire plantations. Two years ago they were also hit by Hurricane Ian, which also destroyed many trees.