ORANGE CROP ANOMALY

Even to the casual observer it’s no secret that development during the last three years has claimed many acres that were once filled with that emblematic county object: the orange tree. Less conspicuous, however, is this fact: as the number of acres devoted to orange trees has declined, the production and yield have risen.

For example, between 1986 and 1988 (the most recent year for which information is available) the number of acres of bearing Valencia orange trees declined 14%. But the production (in tons) increased 7% and the yield (tons per acre) 24%. Similarly, in the same period the acreage of navel and other oranges dropped 20% but the production was up 100% and yield 149%. For the entire orange crop, acreage dipped 14% while production (8%) and yield (25%) increased.

While production and yield have been increasing, though, the aggregate cash value of the orange crop has jumped around, dropping 39% from 1986 to 1987 but then rebounding 36% the next year.

Bearing Production Yield Acreage (in tons) (tons per acre) Value VALENCIA ORANGES 1988 3,975 76,042 19.13 $20,605,100 1987 4,053 72,103 17.79 15,180,600 1986 4,597 70,840 15.41 24,794,000 NAVELS/MISC. ORANGES 1988 64 483 7.55 $136,700 1987 64 380 5.94 97,200 1986 80 242 3.03 73,800 COMBINED ORANGES 1988 4,039 76,525 18.95 $20,741,800 1987 4,117 72,483 17.61 15,277,800 1986 4,677 71,082 15.20 24,867,800

Sources: Individual packing houses, historian Jim Sleeper, Santa Ana Library and Orange County Agricultural Commissioner