Hurricanes, development, demographics, disease and other issues combined in recent decades to severely reduce citrus acreage and crops in Plaquemines Parish, which has the majority of Louisiana growers. According to Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter, the state has only 841 acres of citrus remaining.
Anna Timmerman, LSU AgCenter horticultural Extension agent, discussed the industry’s woes in the parish that she said has been the center of the Louisiana industry “for well over 200 years.”
Hurricanes
“Hurricane Katrina (in 2005), followed by Hurricane Isaac in 2012, damaged most of the groves in Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes,” Timmerman reported. She added that Louisiana growers most recently lost an estimated 75 to 90 percent of their crops to Hurricane Zeta in 2020.
For the full article on Citrus Industry, please click here.