Florida's already-struggling citrus industry “suffered serious and devastating losses” in Hurricane Irma, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Wednesday after an aerial tour of groves in central and southwest parts of the state.
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“It's still too early to know the full extent of the damage to Florida citrus,” Putnam said in a prepared statement. “But after touring groves on foot and by air, it's clear that our signature crop has suffered serious and devastating losses from Hurricane Irma.”
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Earlier in the day, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said he was hearing from citrus growers that up to 75 percent of the early-season crop has been lost to the powerful hurricane that blanketed the state Sunday and Monday.
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