The Imported Asian Disease That Wiped Out 95 Percent of Florida’s Orange Industry in One Generation

In 2003, Florida harvested 242 million boxes of oranges. This season, they’re expecting 12 million.

That’s a 95 percent drop in just over 20 years—in a single generation.

Something’s very wrong with Florida’s orange industry, and that something came here from China.

Citrus farmers all over the Sunshine State are seeing the destruction of their family farms and their livelihoods. Some are fighting back—but the challenges they face make the effort a true uphill battle.

Let’s go through it all together.