Florida Horticulture

Brent Jeansonne M.S.

Former

LSU AgCenter Associate Extension Area Agent – Horticulture

UF/IFAS Extension Agent – Commercial Horticulture

Current 

Berkshire Hathaway - Realtor

 

To an individual living away from Florida, Florida's reputation of having dream vacations, beautiful homes, palm trees, beaches is the first thing that comes to mind. It is true that there are thousands of beautiful Floridian estates and hundreds of miles of palm bordered beautiful tropic beaches that border the state, but there is another feature of Florida that people may not realize. Florida plays a very important role in our daily lives in Florida and the lives of individuals across the nation by supplying horticulture crops that are consumed every day. 

With this article, I will illustrate several items of Florida’s local and national horticultural involvement and agriculture breakdown.

I will first illustrate Florida’s economical breakdown of its top agriculture crops and its farm number and size compared with the top three leading states. Then I will illustrate how Florida compares to the top three leading states in terms of net farm income.  By focusing on specifically citrus, I will then illustrate Florida’s rank with three other states, and then focus on only Florida citrus and the value of the top citrus varieties within the state. Finally, I will illustrate the leading citrus counties of citrus producing in Florida. 

6 BASIC FLORIDA COMMODITES

In Florida, there are six basic agricultural commodities with one exception as a non-horticulture crop:  Citrus, Vegetables, Foliage, Livestock, and other crops. In terms of Florida’s cash receipts of 2006, the economical breakdowns of the total agricultural commodities are as follows:  

1. Citrus 20.7%
2. Vegetables 22.5%
3. Foliage 11.5%
4. Field crops 11.5%
5. Livestock 18.7% 
6. Other crops 19.4%.1]

Florida’s total in cash receipts in 2006 for commodities of combined Citrus, Vegetables and Fruit, and Nuts claimed a value of $5,669,269.00.[2] 

Historically, Florida’s farm numbers were larger and sizes smaller. In 1998, Florida had 45,000 farms with the average farm size being 233 acres. In 2007, the number dropped to 40,000 farms.[3]  Even though the number of farms decreased in number, the revenues have remained strong. For instance, of these 40,000 farms, 6,350 farms exceeded sales of over $100,000.00/year. In comparison of the top three other states in terms of numbers of farms, the top three states in order are: Texas 229,000, Missouri 104,500, and Iowa 88,400 farms.[4] Florida currently ranks 23^rd among all states in the number of farms (Table 2) (Chart 2). Despite the fact of losing 5,000 farms, the average farm size has increased from 233.3 acres in 1998 to 250.0 acres in 2007.

NATIONAL RANKING 

On a national state level and in terms of total agriculture net farm income, the top three states in order are:

1. California $5,905,655,000.00
2. Texas $4,866,322,000.00
3. North Carolina $3,702,198,000.00
4. Florida ranks 7^th with $2,340,426,000.00.[5]

TOP HORTICULTURE CROPS IN FLORIDA

Focusing in Florida, the three top horticulture crops groups are:

1. Citrus and vegetables
2. Other fruits and nuts
3. Citrus.

In Florida, citrus is the most profitable crop of 2006-2007. Florida’s citrus production is more than competitive with other states. For instance, in the 2006-07 production years, Florida ranks number one over California, Texas, and Arizona. Florida was the leader with 70% of the United States citrus production followed by California at 25% and Texas and Arizona at 5%.[6]

Florida’s 2006 top citrus product group is the orange with $1,204,949,000.00 in sales receipts.  The grapefruit was second with $172,149,000.00 and tangerine is third with $58,502,000.00.[7]

TOP CITRUS PRODUCING COUNTIES IN FLORIDA

Florida’s three top citrus producing counties in 2006-2007 are: 

1. Polk
2. Hendry
3. Highlands County.

Polk County is number one with 86,398 acres and 10,222,000 trees in production yielding 22,370,000 boxes followed by Hendry County with 79,726 acres and 12,280,000 trees in production and 21,414,000 boxes. Highlands County ranks third with 62,671 acres and 8253000 trees and 16,744,000 boxes.

Because of Florida’s agriculture diversity, Florida is a proven leader and provider of many temperate, sub-tropical and tropical fruits, and vegetables for domestic and export markets. Florida can be proud to hold claim that the epicenter of the nation’s citrus production industry in the United States is in Polk County Florida.