DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. — Caleb Shelfer grew up on land that has been in his family for more than 130 years.
It's a legacy that stretches back to 1887 when his great, great, great grandfather moved from Fort Worth, Texas to DeSoto County.
Today, that legacy weighs heavily on Shelfer as citrus farmers face challenges around the state. A Florida TaxWatch report finds citrus production in Florida dropped 90% over the past two decades. One of the biggest issues, Shelfer said, is citrus greening disease.
WATCH: DeSoto County citrus farmer pushes back on proposed rule change:
"The whole citrus industry is hurting, in general," Shelfer said. "And we're trying to rebuild it ourselves."
Citrus greening leads to premature fruit drop, unripe fruit, and eventual tree death, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There is no known cure. Destructive hurricanes have also impacted the industry.
Almost 90% of Shelfer's crop was destroyed after Hurricane Milton last year. If another hurricane hits the farm, Shelfer said he's unsure if they'll be able to continue.
On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-FL, highlighted a proposed regulatory change that could support the industry. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed reducing the amount of sugar required in pasteurized orange juice.
The rule would reduce the minimum Brix requirement (a measurement that indicates the sugar content of a liquid), from 10.5 percent to 10 percent, according to the FDA. The standard was first established in 1963 to protect consumer interests.
"To modernize that standard so that we are no longer reliant on importing foreign oranges, and we can actually support and allow our domestic orange growers to thrive," Moody said.
The proposal is backed by industry groups like the Florida Citrus Mutual. The proposed change will help growers use more oranges and stay competitive, Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, said in a statement to FOX 4. Supporters argue the change will boost domestic production and reduce reliance on foreign imports.
Shelfer says the change help farmers harvest more oranges weeks earlier than normal. But it will lead to an inferior product, Shelfer says, which could hurt both consumers and farmers.
"When you drop the Brix content on that, on U.S. juice, that means you're pretty much leveling the playing field," Shelfer said. "Where all juice tastes the same, and then you don't have any of that high-quality juice to blend."
U.S. growers could lose money under the proposal, Shelfer said. Foreign competitors produce significantly more citrus. But foreign citrus has less sugar, he says, forcing processors to mix imported and American juice together.
Under the new rule, U.S. juice wouldn't be comparable to foreign products, Shelfer said. Processors won't pay a higher price for the same juice. Meanwhile, foreign competitors can use chemicals banned in the United States, Shelfer said, and have cheaper labor costs. In the long run, that will squeeze Florida farmers.
"There's a lot of bad things that can come out of that," Shelfer said.
The FDA offers a public comment period for people to share their thoughts on the proposal. The public comment period runs through Nov. 4.
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