UMATILLA, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Florida orange forecast for June increased production projections by 60,000 boxes from the May report.

The forecast accounts for an approximate 0.34% increase from the previous month, but at 17.86 million boxes of oranges for the year, the latest USDA projections are still far lower than the ones issued in January, which projected more than 20 million boxes.

According to the USDA report, which was released on June 12, forecasts for all other types of citrus in Florida are down from the May report.

What You Need To Know

  •  The June Florida orange production forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows a very slight increase from the May report

  •  Regardless, USDA production projections for Florida are still down millions of boxes of oranges from the January report

  • While oranges were up about 0.34% in the June USDA forecast, all other types of citrus were down

While any increase in production is good news, growers in the state say they know their woe's are far from over.

Graham’s U-Pick Farm has been a staple in north Lake County for decades. The fifth-generation farming family is no stranger to the ups and downs citrus crops brings. Which is why the farm's owners rebranded their citrus farm within the last decade to be a "u-pick" operation that now specializes in peaches.

Margeaux Jansky, a member of the fifth generation of farmers working at Graham U-Pick Farm, says seeing the fruits of her labor makes all the effort worth it.

“I love it — it’s very rewarding," she said. "It’s very cool to see your work from season to season, year to year progress."

Years ago, Jansky said the farm was nothing but citrus groves. But then came citrus greening, a incurable bacterial disease that comes from the invasive Asian citrus psyllid — a tiny insect that experts say was first detected in Florida in 1998.

The state of Florida has invested tens of millions of dollars to help the state’s citrus industry, and, many citrus growers around in Florida have started to sell their land rather than combating the decline in citrus production.

A once-successful orange juice plant in Leesburg closed earlier this year, laying off more than 100 employees. For Jansky and her family, she said they're willing to put up a fight, but it’s come with a new way of doing business.

“We do citrus almost as a hobby at this point, and just as a throwback to our roots," she said. "Because we’ve been in Florida citrus for over 100 years. It’s almost nostalgic for us."