The cost of orange juice has surged recently, reaching $4.26 per 16 ounces in June 2024, a significant increase from $2.36 in June 2020. This spike in price is largely attributed to citrus greening, a devastating disease affecting citrus crops across the United States, according to federal officials.

The Impact of Citrus Greening on Orange Juice Prices

Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), has severely impacted orange production, leading to both a decline in fruit supply and a rise in prices. Initially confined to Florida, the disease has now spread to parts of Texas and California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes HLB as “the most serious threat to the U.S. citrus industry in history.” Daniel Munch, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, highlighted the economic impact of the disease: “When you have a lack of supply that’s unable to meet demand, prices for consumers shoot up.” The current situation reflects this, with the price of orange juice more than doubling over the past few years due to reduced citrus yields.

Understanding Citrus Greening and Its Origins

Citrus greening is caused by a bacteria called Liberibacter, which likely originated in Asia before the 1900s. The disease has since spread globally to various citrus-growing regions. In areas where HLB is endemic, citrus trees, such as sweet oranges, show a marked decline within 3 to 4 years of planting, resulting in reduced fruit quality and crop yields. The disease was first detected in Florida in 2005 and had spread to most of the state’s citrus-growing counties by 2008. Despite extensive efforts to manage and mitigate the impact, citrus greening continues to threaten Florida’s citrus industry and has now established a foothold in other regions.

Efforts to Combat Citrus Greening

To tackle this growing problem, researchers at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are focusing on understanding the disease’s pathogen, host, and insect vector. “We are making great progress in not only understanding how citrus greening infiltrates healthy citrus trees, but how to protect these trees from the disease,” the USDA stated.

One innovative approach includes the use of trained dogs to detect citrus diseases. A team of researchers has successfully trained dogs to identify both citrus greening and citrus canker, another bacterial disease affecting citrus trees. This method has achieved accuracy rates above 99.97%, showcasing its effectiveness in early disease detection.

The Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service plans to deploy these trained dogs over the next two years and is collaborating with dog training companies to commercialize this technique. This approach is currently the most reliable way to detect citrus greening before visible symptoms appear, providing hope for mitigating the disease’s impact. As the U.S. citrus industry continues to grapple with citrus greening, ongoing research, and innovative detection methods are crucial in the fight to restore citrus production and stabilize orange juice prices.