Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says the state's orange industry, a nine-billion-dollar business, is in danger of being wiped out by citrus greening.
The bacterial disease is spread by tiny insects and causes oranges to fall off trees before they ripen, making the fruit inedible. Ultimately, the disease kills the entire tree.
Putnam says citrus greening has been found in every Florida county that produces citrus crops."This matters to every Floridian because of the profound economic impact it has in so many of our interior counties", said Putnam. "You’re talking about a footprint in Florida of nearly one half million acres."
The Legislature spent $8 million in this year’s budget to research citrus greening, hoping to save the iconic orange industry. The disease has also infected groves in California, Texas and South America. There is no known cure.