<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Florida</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">3.19.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p> Florida citrus growers have been through the wringer this year, caused largely by premature drops brought on by warm temperatures, early blooming, and greening disease.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/Douglas-Ackerman2-204x300.jpg" alt="Images 031913 - LATE BLAST" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“You’re seeing an 18 to 20 percent drop,” said Doug Ackerman, Florida Department of Citrus director. “One out of every five oranges that you are going to harvest and put in a box is laying on the ground rotting.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Ackerman told state lawmakers this is the worst case of citrus drop in more than 40 years. He blames Florida’s growing conditions and citrus greening disease for the drop in citrus, according to to Florida's WUFT radio news.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Brazil and other citrus growing regions throughout the world have been dealing with the greening disease, according to 2012-2013 Florida Trends report by the Florida Department of Citrus.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">At this point, a big freeze in the next few weeks could present a devastating prospect for the industry.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.wuft.org/news/2013/03/18/florida-farmers-prepare-for-less-citrus-due-to-drop/ " target="_new">Florida Citrus Report</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
