<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Fresno, CA</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">3.20.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/california-valencia-orange-update-banner.jpg" alt="Cropped Images 03192013" />Valencia orange production is expected to continue to decline in California this year.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The number of oranges available this spring and summer will decrease although industry officials say winter freezes have not caused significant damage.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Acreage has been declining as growers switch to more lucrative varieties according to Bob Blakely, Director of Industry Relations for California Citrus Mutual, as reported by the Capital Press.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The mid-January cold snap that affected key growing regions in the Central Valley appeared to cause only minimal damage to citrus crops, according to Citrus Mutual.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">This year’s production is expected to be 25 million cartons of Valencia oranges, down from last year’s figure of 27 million, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.capitalpress.com/california/TH-oranges-w-photo-infobox-031513" target="_new">Valencia Update</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
