Bitter Fruit in Citrus Country

PRX

Bitter Fruit in Citrus Country

Series: Bitter Fruit in Citrus Country
From: WUSF
Length: 00:04:26

Florida’s citrus industry faces competition in its own backyard. Read the full description.

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It's hard to imagine Florida without oranges. But that's what some citrus farmers say may be on the horizon. The state's growers are still reeling from four major hurricanes, a decade-long battle with citrus canker disease, and a flood of cheap imported fruit -- most of it from Brazil. As WUSF's Carson Cooper reports, growers are fighting back -- but they're also considering their options. His report is part of "Think Global," public radio's week of special coverage. TRT - 4:27 Narration begins 0:07 Narration ends 4:22

Transcript

[Ambient sound: Mixon Farms

Mixon Farms in Bradenton, Florida -- about an hour south of Tampa -- has been a family farm for four generations. Owner and family patriarch Bill Mixon says his groves have endured hurricanes, freezes and a decade long battle against citrus canker disease.
But Mixon says, competition from Brazil poses the greatest threat he's seen in his seven decades of growing citrus.

(MIXON: We can't compete with Brazil because their labor is so cheap there and our labor is so much higher and we just absolutely can't compete. Especially when they dump their product here in the United States at below world prices in order to clear out their inventory.)

In Brazil, growers can produce a box of oranges for about one quarter of what it costs in the United States, mainly because of lower labor costs. Major producers, such as Tropicana and Minute Maid mix Florida juice w...
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