ORLANDO, Fla. — A major grower said this week it was abandoning its citrus growing operations, reflecting the headwinds Florida’s signature crops are facing following a series of hurricanes and tree diseases.
Alico Inc. announced that it planned to wind down its citrus operations after the current crop is harvested later this year. About 3,400 citrus acres (1,376 hectares) will be managed by third-party caretakers for another season through 2026.
The Fort Myers-based company owns 53,371 acres (21,598.5 hectares) across eight counties in Florida and 48,700 acres (19,708 hectares) of oil, gas and mineral rights in the state. About a quarter of its land holdings will now be slotted for potentially developing commercial or residential projects in the near and long term future, the company said in a news release.
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