How's that for a grabber? Tourism is Florida's number 1 industry, and already there are people talking about keeping their vacation dollars out of the state. No Disneyland, no NASA, no Sea World. But, I have another idea regarding Florida's number 2 industry, so follow me below the squiggly mark.
Though 90% of Florida's oranges are used in the production of orange juice, citrus growers are in a precarious position. In 2006, there was a yearly crop yield of 80 million oranges, and today, that number has shrunk to a little under 60 million. Grapefruits are in an even worse off position, seeing a dramatic 9 million yield drop off, from a high of 14 million in 2000, to a little more 5 million grown today.
Why such a substantial loss? There are 2 primary reasons, the first is the Huanglongbing virus, which literally means the "Yellow Dragon Disease" and causes premature and irregular greening. It's spread by psyllids, and has no known cure, other than containment and eradication. The second reason that there is a 20 million yield drop off in last 7 years is that orange juice is losing its market share to other, healthier morning substitutes like Starbucks, and stale beer, and clown tears, or whatever gets people going in the morning.
This leaves Florida in a very tenuous, very vulnerable position, as they struggle to regain their market share. I think we should commit to a boycott of oranges grown in Florida. Orange juice even comes with an incredibly handy little label that will tell you if the juice contained within originated from the Sunshine State, or somewhere else.
Sometimes the only way to register your disgust with a community is to hurt them in the only place it seems to matter, in their pocket books.