Smaller oranges and fewer per tree mean this season's crop could reap nearly 20 percent less than last season's, mainly because of spotty rainfall and cold weather this year. ...more

December 22, 2009

Florida's overall orange crop estimate is down by about 400,000 boxes. ...more

April 9, 2009

Five Guys Eyes South Tampa Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries has signed a lease to put a new restaurant inside Sunshine Plaza, 4304 S. Dale Mabry Highway, now wholly occupied by Sunshine Thrift store. A real estate Web site also indicates a Verizon store is coming to Sunshine Plaza. ...more

February 11, 2009

For the third time this season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has lowered its orange crop estimate for Florida. ...more

February 10, 2009

For the second time this season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has lowered its orange crop estimate for Florida. ...more

January 13, 2009

For the second time this season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered its orange crop estimate for Florida. The agency expects Florida growers to harvest 162 million boxes of oranges during the 2008-09 season, down from its original forecast of 166 million boxes. The season runs from October through June. One box weighs about 90 pounds. ...more

January 12, 2009

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reduced its November orange crop estimate by 1 million boxes. Now, 165 million boxes of oranges are expected to be produced during the 2008-2009 season. ...more

December 21, 2008

LAKELAND – Florida's 2007-2008 orange crop estimate remained the same at 168.5 million boxes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which released a revised citrus forecast. The 168.5 million boxes are made up of 80.5 million boxes of Early-Mids, 3 million boxes of Navels and 85 million boxes of Valencias. ...more

June 14, 2008

SEBRING — Here's the upshot from Friday morning's citrus crop estimate: USDA experts don't expect a repeat of the 230 million box bumper crop of the 2001-02 season. But unless there's a disaster, 2007-08 will be way better than the 129 million boxes Florida farmers eked out last season. "We're excited to see the estimate of 168 million boxes this season," said Michael W. Sparks, executive vice president of Florida Citrus Mutual, a grower's association. Raymond Royce, executive director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, thinks the agriculture department's prediction of 30 percent larger than last year is neither too positive or too negative. "It's right about where I believe, and many of our growers probably thought we would be," Royce said. ...more

October 13, 2007