Citrus, Vegetables Had a Good 2012 in Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) —

Citrus fruits, snap beans and cucumbers from Florida are the standouts of state agriculture in 2012.

The state Department of Agriculture released a 180-page report Friday with statistics about one of Florida’s leading industries.

The good news: The value of the state’s orange crop continued to rise, with $1.5 billion in sales, up from $1.3 billion the previous year. Citrus growers gave Florida 66 percent of the total U.S. market share.

And vegetables had a good year. Florida ranks second only to California in vegetable production. Sales exceeded $1.1 billion, and growers harvested vegetables from 186,700 acres.

Agriculture is the second-largest industry in the state, and contributes $104 billion to the state’s economy annually. Tourism is Florida’s largest industry.

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