Orange juice prices have hit a record high after a hurricane and disease have badly impacted citrus crops in Florida.
According to The Financial Times, a pound of oranges has now surged to $3 (£2.35) as growers feel the impact of the lowest production levels for a century.
Output in the United States was wrecked by a hurricane that destroyed trees as farmers began harvesting last September, causing the benchmark for frozen concentrated orange juice futures to jump in price from $1.76 (£1.38) a pound last year.
This indicates that prices are likely to rise further for consumers.
Britain is more vulnerable to supply crunches caused by bad weather and pests because it is heavily reliant on imported foodstuffs. Rising prices for orange juice would therefore add to the pressures on British shoppers.
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Furthermore, Florida Citrus Mutual, which represents about 2,000 growers, told the Financial Times that orange juice production is significantly lower than it should be at this point in the year.
Chief executive of Florida Citrus Mutual, Matthew Joyner, told the FT: “Overall orange juice production in the US is the lowest in “over 100 years.
“Just over 20 years ago we were producing 240 million boxes, now we’re finishing this season at just under 18 million,” he said.
“We’re 100% infected apart from new trees we put in the ground, and they get infected within a year. The storms couldn’t have come at a worse time but we have the ability to turn this industry around,” Joyner added.
Back in May, supermarkets could face further fruit and vegetable shortages as unexpected weather in the UK and Spain has affected supply.
