The Florida orange production forecast for the 2023-24 harvest is expected to drop 5% from April projections, according to a May 10 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The 2023-24 all orange forecast released by the USDA Agricultural Statistics Board was lowered by 1 million boxes to 17.8 million boxes. If realized, this will be 13% more than last season’s final production. The forecast consists of 6.8 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges and 11 million boxes of Valencia oranges. The news comes as the Gulf Citrus Growers Association, which represents growers in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties, announced it will cease operations this week due crops not yielding as many oranges as a result of Greening disease, a bacterial infection of crops that will guarantee a tree’s death within a few years.