Florida's already struggling citrus industry has been dealt another severe blow by Hurricane Milton, according to industry experts.
A new federal report projected a 16.8% decline in citrus production for the current season even before Milton struck, due to citrus greening disease and the impact of previous hurricanes.
The damage from recent back-to-back storm's is expected to further worsen the situation.
Milton's strong winds knocked fruit off trees and damaged young trees planted after Hurricane Ian in 2022.
This as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's forecast was already predicting the lowest citrus harvest in nearly a century.
Orange production is down nearly 3 million boxes to 15 million from 17.96 million the previous season. Grapefruit and specialty fruit production are also expected to take a significant hit as well.
Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual called the pre-Milton forecast "extremely discouraging" and is stressing the need for state and federal support to help growers recover.