The Vernon Hollingsworth family has been growing oranges for more than 150 years, and their farm in East Florida has been a source of both pride and anxiety since Hurricane Ian devastated their crops last September.

On a March morning, the 62-year-old farmer traverses his fields in his truck, pointing to sporadic damage caused by the storm.

"I have lost most of my crops," he says. "We will have to replant, but we need help to do that."

Hurricane Ian is the latest hit to crops of this famous fruit in Florida, where it is a major symbol that appears even on car registration plates.

The state, located in the southeast of the United States, occupies the second place in the world for the most important regions exporting orange juice , after Brazil, but it has been fighting for seventeen years another pest, the Asian citrus greening disease (HLB).

This bacterium is transmitted by an insect of the phylloxera species, which causes infected trees to turn green, making them unusable, and in most cases leading to their death within a few years.

Disease and damage from Hurricane Ian have hit the whole sector hard: production this year is expected to reach 16.1 million cages (each weighing 41 kilograms), a 60% decrease compared to last year's crop.

Florida is currently experiencing one of its worst harvests since the 1930s, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

A study conducted by the University of Florida estimated the losses incurred by the agricultural sector in the state as a result of Hurricane Ian at $1.03 billion, including $247.1 million in the citrus sector alone.
To make matters worse for Hollingsworth, the season was looking promising before the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
He had just treated his trees with an antibacterial treatment recommended by the authorities in order to fight the Asian citrus greening disease.
And the American farmer says, "With the new treatment, it became clear to me that the orange trees can bloom and the fruits grow normally. We were in this situation when the hurricane hit. And it happened at the worst stage to citrus in Florida."

And now his farm, which employs about fifty full-time employees, in addition to seasonal workers, faces complex months ahead.

Normally, the income from the year's harvest is used to finance the next harvest. But this year, his crops made little money, and the insurance did not cover the damage in full.

In addition, each replanted tree will take four years to produce its first fruits.

"This is really hard. I'm trying to do the best I can, but it would be great to get help" from the state of Florida or the federal government, "we really need it," Vernon Holligsworth said.

The Florida Citrus Agency, which regulates the sector, is studying how to help producers who must replant, says Marisa Zansler, who heads the agency's economic research division.

This initiative is key to supporting a $6.9 billion industry in Florida alone that employs 32,500 people.
Pending the implementation of this assistance, the price of orange juice has risen in American stores, and Brazil is taking advantage of this situation.

The giant South American country exported 240,000 tons of oranges to the United States in the last quarter, up 82% in one year, according to official data.

But on his farm, Hollingsworth did not lose hope, and he is even convinced that if he succeeds in withstanding the current crisis, the future looks bright, especially with treatments against Asian citrus greening bacteria.

In any case, "I have to go on, I don't know any other trade," says Hollingsworth.