Orange juice price set to rise due to oncoming hurricane season

The threat of a particularly active oncoming hurricane season, including the approaching Tropical Storm Colin, is predicted to hit the price of orange juice. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns 10 to 16 storms could hit the US coast this year, putting orange groves directly in their paths. The Florida citrus industry is already grappling with citrus greening, which we highlighted last year. There is no cure for the greening disease and any infected trees have to be cut down, however, replacing these trees takes time and money. Furthermore, consumer tastes in the US and Europe appear to be turning to other drinks, due to increasing concerns over sugar intake.

It’s bad news for breakfast addicts and mimosa-guzzling brunch loyalists alike. As Florida braces for Tropical Storm Colin to hit the US coast, the price of orange juice is starting to rise.

The threat of the storm—which comes early in the hurricane season—has driven the price of orange juice to its highest level in more than two years. The US is the second-largest producer of oranges after Brazil, which earlier this year suffered from weather-related incidents that damaged its orange groves.

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The cost of orange juice could continue rising during the next several months, thanks to a particularly active season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said 10 to 16 storms could come hurtling toward the US coast this year, putting orange groves directly in their paths.

Besides weather woes, the Florida citrus industry is wrestling a more insidious issue: citrus greening. Some farmers have called citrus greening—the effects of an invasive little bug that brings a bacterial disease to groves—an even bigger threat than hurricanes.