Official reports
As comprehensive accounts of the Florida citrus industry, these summaries demonstrate the decline in citrus acreage across the state. For example, the population of St. Lucie county along the east coast increased by almost 80,000 people in the ten year span from 2000-2010. In the same period, the total acreage of citrus groves in the county decreased from 99,000 to 18,000 acres. Faced with rising competition from Brazil and enticing offers to sell valuable acreage to real estate developers, more growers are leaving the industry every year.
