Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
Florida orange production is up 5% this season, and a $196 million state investment is fueling renewed optimism for an industry that has battled citrus greening disease and hurricane damage for years.
Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, said the turnaround is real.
"Our outlook is absolutely incredible. After decades of having some difficult, challenging years, growers are finally seeing the technologies, the research, the efforts in the fields, the field trials move forward into something that gives them confidence to plant and bring to consumers again."
Melanie Ressler, co-CEO of IMG Citrus and a Florida citrus grower, said the unique qualities of Florida-grown fruit are what keep her fighting for the industry's future.
"My confidence comes from the product itself. Florida grapefruit or Florida oranges really have the ability to be the sweetest and juiciest in the world. And that's because of our climate and our soils. So something that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. And so to me, that's something that's worth fighting for and why we keep trying and finding solutions to bring Florida citrus to consumers throughout the world."
Shepp said consumers can support the industry with a simple choice at the grocery store.
"The easiest and simplest way is to go to that refrigerated case and pick up 100% orange juice. Look for the one ingredient: oranges; go by the produce. Look for Florida. It is the juiciest. It is the sweetest. We've been known for our premium quality since 1935. So please, please give us a shot."
More information about the Florida citrus industry is available at FloridaCitrus.org.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.