Grapefruit: Citrus trees like this one in a Texas orchard were damaged by freezing weather.
Initial losses from Uri could be ‘tip of iceberg’ for long-term impact
Early estimates from three top South Texas citrus-producing counties indicate the state will suffer significant citrus crop losses due to the recent ice storm and freezing weather.
Initial estimates from Texas Citrus Mutual based on crop loss information provided by Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties have put total citrus industry losses at no less than $300 million.
“Rio Grande Valley producers had already harvested about 80% of their orange crop and about 67% of their grapefruit crop before the storm, but what remained was all lost,” said Juan Anciso, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist based in Weslaco. “We also saw significant losses on a number of both cold- and warm-season vegetable crops.”