San Joaquin Valley citrus packers are hiring extra workers and inspecting fruit as they try to separate the good from the bad after an early December freeze.
Although citrus industry officials are reluctant to put a percentage on the damage from nearly a dozen days of subfreezing temperatures, some citrus packers are estimating damage at between 30% to 50% for the entire industry.
"That is the range that is being discussed among packers," said Bob Blakely, director of industry relations for California Citrus Mutual in Exeter. "But we don't have a number that we are comfortable with yet."
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