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Frozen Weather Puts the Squeeze on Oranges
That fresh orange you snack on after school is about to get a lot more expensive. Freezing temperatures in the Central Valley of California have destroyed a huge portion of the state's citrus crop. Citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, and limes. This is a huge blow to farmers -- the citrus industry in California is worth 1.3 BILLION dollars.
The five-day cold snap was the coldest weather for decades. Once temperatures dip below 28 degrees, fruit can freeze. This is sad news for fruit lovers. California is the largest producer of fresh-market oranges. But don't worry juice fans -- most OJ comes from Florida and other parts of the world.
Farmers tried to save the fruit on the trees by irrigating with water and using wind machines to warm them. They also tried to pick as many as they could. But, the frost proved too powerful. Temperatures were in the teens in some areas. Now farmers are inspecting their fruit to evaluate the damage. They cut the oranges and look inside to see if the fruit is damaged. Current estimates say as much as three-fourths of the citrus crop was ruined.
The overall costs could end up about 1 BILLION dollars. Governor Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency. He is asking the government to help the farmers and to the 12,000 workers that will lose their jobs. And supermarkets across the country will be adding other fruits like apples to their shelves to pick up the slack.
I'm Adelbert and that's what happened in weather this week.
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