FORT MEADE, Fla. — While storm recovery efforts are ongoing in Polk County, citrus growers are struggling to power forward.

What You Need To Know

  • Kyle Story's grove suffered severe wind damage during Hurricane Milton

  • Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates that Milton caused up to $2.5 billion in losses for farmers

  • Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, is working to find growers resources and assistance

Kyle Story, vice president of The Story Companies, says his family’s grove has weathered several storms in the last 20 years. Each brought a unique set of problems, and Hurricane Milton was no different, as the crops suffered severe wind damage.

“That tree is going to have a 90-plus percent loss of crop and over 50 percent loss of leaf. So, for it to recover, that’s a three-to-five-year process of good weather,” Story said, pointing at his crop.

Story says the damage means the citrus season will be short. His revenue will decrease, and he’ll be forced to spend more money to salvage what’s left.

“That means fertilizer and irrigation,” he said. “We’ve got huge expenses with labor, and those things don’t go away. We have to reinvest at a particular time when we weren’t going to.”

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Milton caused farmers between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion in losses, with citrus growers facing losses of about 20 percent.

However, Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, says those estimates don’t scratch the surface.

“As a whole, which is a very big growing region throughout the state of Florida, those numbers are probably right, but they’re very conservative for a lot of growers who lost most of their crop this year,” he said.

Joyner says he’s working to find citrus farmers the resources they need.

“These growers that have been teetering on the edge of profit year after year are now stuck with one more season where they will most likely not break even on this crop,” Joyner said.

He’s also calling on lawmakers to provide state and federal assistance to ensure the industry flourishes.

“It’s critical for the grower, but it’s also critical for the infrastructure that is supported by this industry in a lot of areas where there aren’t a whole lot of other things that these folks can do,” he said.

In the meantime, Story says he and others will continue doing what they know best.

“Keep farming and make sure that agriculture remains the backbone of our economy,” he said.

Story and Joyner say the full extent of Milton’s impact will take time to determine, as citrus loss can occur for weeks. Upcoming forecasts are expected to account for the damages.