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Estimates For Florida's Orange Crop Drop

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Apr 9, 2009 4:14 pm US/Eastern

Estimates For Florida's Orange Crop Drop

TALLAHASSEE (AP) ― Florida's orange crop estimate is down by around 400-thousand boxes, which could be a major blow to orange farmers across the Sunshine State.

The season, which stretches from October to July, is expected to yield 157.6 million boxes this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated just last month Florida could harvest 158 million boxes.

More than 170 million boxes of oranges were harvested during the last growing season.

Good news for Valencia Orange harvesters: the forecast for the Valencia crop has not changed. The Department of Agriculture estimates 73 million boxes this season.

Florida is the nation's largest orange producer and grows about three-quarters of the U.S. crop. About 90 percent of the state's fruit is used to make orange juice.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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