Market Update: How 2024 Hurricanes Impacted Fresh Citrus Fruits

In the fall of 2024, back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton made landfall in Florida and tore through its orchards of fresh citrus fruits. High winds stripped trees of their leaves, knocked oranges to the ground, and snapped branches. 

At Vero Beach, Florida, a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton battered Al’s Family Farms. It ripped the second floor off of the farm’s 100-year-old packing house and caved in the building where the Schorner family washed oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits.

“Unfortunately, the pole barn over top of our fruit washing equipment completely collapsed on our machinery,” the family wrote on the farm’s website. “Thank goodness our equipment is very strong.”

Hurricanes Squeeze Florida Citrus

Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9, 2024. Two months later, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that Florida’s fresh citrus fruit production would fall significantly in 2024-25 compared to the previous season.

• Oranges: -33%
• Grapefruits: -33%
• Tangerines and Tangelos: -22%

Reduced crop yields pinch Florida farmers, especially those running small family farms. But their ripple effect also impacts shoppers, grocery stores, and other farmers across the country.

The Impact on Customers & California Farmers

The FruitGuys spoke to three citrus farmers and dug into the data to understand how last year’s hurricanes affected the citrus supply chain and the availability of fresh fruit and processed fruit products this season. Here are a few trends to watch for at the grocery store and beyond. 

1. High Orange Juice Prices

More than 95 percent of the oranges grown in Florida are sold to make orange juice. Juice prices hit an all-time high just before Milton because of previous storm damage to Florida trees, a disease called citrus greening, and drought and extreme heat in Brazil (which grows 70 percent of the world’s juice oranges). 

After the hurricanes, they rose even higher, spiking in October 2024 and December 2024, according to data from Markets Insider. Prices began to fall steeply in late January 2025 but are still well above the recent historical average. 

2. More California Orange Juice 

Most California citrus farmers sell their fruit fresh for out-of-hand eating. But this season, some growers have noticed more demand for their fruit in the byproduct market, specifically for fruit juice, to help replace the agricultural losses on the East Coast. 

Jesse Silva, vice president of sales at the citrus farm Kings River Packing in California’s Central Valley, is one of them. He told The FruitGuys that he’s seen an increase in demand from “the juice industry or in-store juicing programs with retailers” to “fill the lower supplies available worldwide but also in North America.” 

Marcus Marderosian, a sales representative at the California citrus grower Bee Sweet Citrus, said that the demand for juice “is a nice floor to have” even though it’s still more cost-effective for his team to grow citrus for fresh eating.

“If we have a product that is not the highest of grade, it may make more economic sense for the grower to send it to the byproduct market because a grower’s returns could be higher there,” he told The FruitGuys. “This definitely has potential to help us as we go through the rest of the season.” 

3. More Imported Fresh-Eating Citrus

While some companies may be looking to California citrus to fill the gaps in their supply chain, others are turning toward imported fruit instead.

“Demand for domestic citrus is softer than we expected, compared to prior years,” Bianca Kaprielian, CEO of Reedley, California-based Fruit World, told The FruitGuys. “… On the East Coast we’re seeing a lot more imports rather than pulling fruit from California.”

Bianca said the imported fruit is typically listed for a price comparable to or lower than Fruit World’s citrus, adding that, “Once you factor [in] costs of shipping across the US it’s hard to compete with the imported fruit.” 

If you value shopping locally and supporting American farmers, take time this season to double-check where your fresh citrus fruits were grown before you buy them.

A Citrus Buyer’s Perspective

Here at The FruitGuys, our team of produce buyers sources citrus from across the country to stock our fresh fruit delivery boxes for offices and fulfill bulk orders for schools. Danielle Allen, our Philadelphia-based produce buyer, hasn’t noticed a difference in citrus pricing and availability this season compared to previous years. However, Chicago-based Produce Buyer Jeanette Mendez has seen price and supply changes for some citrus products.

“Every Wednesday, I walk through the market to see what special deals I can acquire on spectacular fruit to go into next week’s fruit boxes, and I’ve noticed a couple of things,” Jeanette said. “There seem to be more varieties of clementines and mandarines available this year, and the prices do vary depending on sizing. I’ve also seen more lesser-quality citrus sold for juicing. It’s nice to see that everyone is helping by doing their part to make sure no fruit goes to waste.”

How You Can Support American Citrus Farmers

Farming is a tough profession in the best of times. In fact, many farmers lose money on their crops every year and have to rely on off-farm jobs to make ends meet. Still, they work incredibly hard to keep us all fed. Here are three ways you can support American citrus farmers in the last few weeks of citrus season. 

1. Shop Your Farmers Market

If you live in Florida, California, or another citrus-growing state, shop for citrus and other fruits at farm stands or your local farmers market instead of at the grocery store. This will help you avoid imports and maximize the amount of money that goes back to the farmer. (Check out this profile to read about why farmers markets matter from the farmer’s perspective.) 

2. Buy Farm-Direct Online

Thanks to the internet, you can still buy fresh citrus fruits directly from farms even if you don’t live in a citrus-growing state. Just remember to factor in the cost of shipping. This might not be practical for your weekly grocery haul, but it’s a great way to treat your family and support farmers at the same time. 

3. Choose Office Vendors That Source Locally

When stocking your break room, choose vendors like The FruitGuys that deliver fruit directly to your office and prioritize both sourcing it locally and working directly with farmers. The FruitGuys has more than 50 farm-direct suppliers across the country, and we stock our fresh fruit boxes with seasonal produce grown near you whenever possible. During citrus season, it’s a great way to support your team’s health and your community at the same time.