Citrus Damage Estimate Eases: The government said...
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Citrus Damage Estimate Eases: The government said freeze losses in the South were not quite as bad as initially thought, but it still listed the citrus crop at 9.92 million tons, 23% less than last season. Orange production was forecast as 169 million boxes, 19% less than last season, but 7% more than estimated by the Agriculture Department two weeks after the Christmas weekend freeze. Grapefruit prospects, however, worsened. The crop was pegged at 41.6 million boxes, down 9% from last month. If correct, it would be 38% smaller than the 1988-1989 crop.