Oranges in Florida are reaping the effects of inefficient weather conditions along with a destructive disease, which will also directly affect consumers' pockets.

The disease outbreak and weather will cause a major decrease in the citrus yield for 2022, according to growers in Florida and the Department of Agriculture. This will cause a noticeable difference in oranges and orange juice stock in grocery stores, from a decline in availability to an increase in prices.

"We have the overarching issue of disease coupled with just a low fruit set and extremely high fruit drop prior to harvest that is generally weather-related," said Larry Black, vice president and general manager of Peace River Packing Company, an orange grove farm in Fort Meade, Florida, according to NBC News.

The Department of Agriculture predicted in October that orange production in Florida will decrease by 11% and decrease by 12% in the entire U.S. for the 2021-22 season.

Many of Florida’s oranges are experiencing “huanglongbing,” which is a disease that causes the fruit to stay small and turn green. It also causes them to become more acidic rather than sugary. Once an orange tree has caught the “citrus greening” disease, the tree becomes completely destroyed.

“Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), previously called citrus greening disease, is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide. Originally thought to be caused by a virus, it is now known to be caused by unculturable phloem-limited bacteria,” according to The Center for Invasive Species Research at University of California Riverside.

Florida's oranges also need Florida’s subtropical temperatures, with a balance of sunshine, and rainfall, to have perfect crop production. Orange tree growth has been affected due to an influx in hurricanes, which has caused its usual weather conditions to slightly shift.

Along with weather and disease, Florida’s oranges have also been affected by similar supply chain issues that many other products and produce have been experiencing like cost of labor, transportation, fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural costs.

Even with low production and high supply cost, the demand for oranges still stays high, which is motivating the orange industry to try and solve these issues.

"Consumers are realizing the value of orange juice and are making that purchase, so Florida citrus growers need to continue to fight," Mike Sparks, executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, told NBC News.

"We've got to address high production costs, labor issues and imports, but first things first, we got to take care of our trees," he said.

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