What Really Killed Florida's Orange Empire?

A bug killed Florida's orange industry — but the story everyone tells is only half true. In this video, we break down how Florida's orange production collapsed 95% in under 30 years, from 244 million boxes at its peak to just 12.9 million this season. Learn how the Asian citrus psyllid and huanglongbing disease opened the door, why $400 million of federal research still hasn't produced a cure, and how the pound-solid pricing system wired Florida's entire economy into the biology of a single tree. We cover the 2017 Hurricane Irma damage, the multi-year Brazilian juice contracts that killed growers even after they recovered, the collapse of orange juice consumption, and why Polk County — home to more citrus acreage than any other Florida county — is now the top destination for movers in America. If you thought a three-millimetre insect ended Florida citrus, this video follows what really did. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro — Trevor Murphy and the houses closing in 0:51 - The number — 244 million boxes to 12.9 million 1:21 - The insect and the disease 2:14 - The structural fact everyone skips — 95% goes to juice 3:39 - Why a grove isn't a crop — the 30-year capital bet 4:33 - Where and how greening arrived in Florida 6:17 - What the disease actually costs a grower 8:04 - Why $400 million and 21 years produced no cure 10:35 - What actually killed it — Hurricane Irma 12:19 - The contract that turned a bad season into an extinction event 14:49 - Everything else arriving at once 15:57 - The land worth more than the trees 17:24 - Florida vs California — not the same business 18:31 - Brazil — the supplier fighting the same disease 18:48 - The honest counterweight 20:07 - Back to Trevor Murphy