P.M. BRIEFING : Orange Juice Price Fall Expected

LAKELAND, Fla. — The state Department of Citrus reported today that the retail price for orange juice is expected to decline almost 12% during the coming year, while consumption of the juice is expected to increase by 15%.

Robert Behr, economic research director of the Florida Department of Citrus, said he “expected retail prices to decline as a result of higher Florida orange production and record world orange juice supplies.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that Florida would produce 165 million boxes of oranges, a 50% increase over last season’s freeze-damaged crop.