- LAKELAND, Fla. (Reuters)
- Hurricane Charley devastated Florida's $9.1 billion citrus industry,
uprooting trees and stripping off fruit that was ripening for next season's
crop, the state's largest citrus growers' group said on Sunday.
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- Florida Citrus Mutual said growers in three of the state's
largest citrus-producing counties, DeSoto, Hardee and Polk, saw their groves,
barns and equipment destroyed.
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- The unripe, golf-ball-sized orange crop was in the process
of maturing for the 2005 harvest but was blown off the trees that remained,
Florida Citrus Mutual said.
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- Those three counties, in addition to nearby Manatee,
Sarasota, Lee and Charlotte counties, hold more than 280,000 acres, or
about 35 percent, of Florida's 800,000 acres of citrus groves.
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- The state was still assessing damage to its $9.1 billion
citrus industry, which employs 90,000 people.
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- "This will certainly have a huge impact on their
livelihood and this season's citrus crop," said Andy LaVigne, executive
vice president of the mutual group that represents 11,000 industry members.
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- "Since communication lines are down in these areas,
it is difficult for us to adequately gauge the crop loss and economic impact
this storm will have on Florida citrus growers who are already suffering
from very low fruit prices," LaVigne said in a statement.
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