ORLANDO, Fla. – It may soon cost a little more to fill your cup with orange juice.
Prices for the breakfast drink are expected to increase. According to the USDA, less than favorable weather conditions in recent years and citrus diseases have hurt orange crops.
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The USDA expects Florida to produce about 45 million boxes of oranges this year, the smallest harvest the state has produced in nearly 80 years.
Experts say a shortage of oranges and higher demand will cause prices to soar.
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The anticipated spike in orange juice prices comes as consumers are already facing inflation across multiple sectors, CNN reported. The U.S. consumer price index rose 7% over the past year before seasonal adjustments, the steepest climb in prices since June 1982, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week.
Over the past year, food consumed at home was 6.5% more expensive while prices at restaurants rose 6%. Fruit juice and nonalcoholic drink prices have already spiked 5.7% this year, and orange juice futures are up.
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