World News | Ian's Damage to Florida Agriculture as High as USD 1.8 Billion

Orlando (US), Oct 25 (AP) Hurricane Ian caused as much as USD 1.8 billion in damages to Florida agriculture last month, state agriculture officials said.

The Category 4 storm caused between USD 1.1 billion and USD 1.8 billion in losses to the state's crops and agriculture infrastructure when it tore through the peninsula after landing in southwest Florida, according to a preliminary estimate released on Monday by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

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The agency's estimate was in the same range as a University of Florida preliminary estimate released last week that put Florida's agriculture loss as high as USD 1.5 billion.

Crop damage ranged from USD 686 million to USD 1.2 billion. The biggest losses came from citrus which had damages between USD 416 million and USD 675 million, the Department of Agriculture report said.

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The hurricane hit almost at the start of the citrus growing season in Florida, which produces about 60 per cent of all the citrus consumed in the US.

Not only did citrus growers lose fruit that was blown off trees, but they now face the prospect of damaged trees from flooding.

The loss could amount to as much as 11 per cent of citrus trees, the report said. Even before the hurricane, Florida's orange production was predicted to be down by almost a third this season because of the deadly citrus greening disease.

When it comes to non-citrus fruits and vegetables, Florida lost an estimated USD 153.7 million to USD 230.5 million, or around 10 per cent to 15 per cent of crops, just as the planting season was getting into full gear. Many fields lost plastic and drip-tape irrigation and other infrastructure, the report said. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)