Citrus is Polk County’s past. Much of the value of Polk was built upon citrus groves – and the picking and packing and processing that went with it.

In recent times, freezes, canker and greening – not to mention the side effects of hurricanes – have done their best to make this an agribusiness whose time has passed us by.

BARTOW –
The Florida citrus industry is on the rebound after taking a hard hit from devastating hurricanes and diseases.

In the citrus crop forecast for the 2007-2008 season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated Florida growers will produce 168 million boxes of oranges, up 30 percent from last year’s 129 million boxes.

ARCADIA — The orange crop forecast is in, and experts think it may be 30 percent higher than last year’s totals.