Orange Juice Sellers Get Creative to Combat Poor Harvest (Watch)

Anyone planning to stock up on orange juice this cold and flu season might be in for a rude awakening. Florida is having one of the worst orange harvesting seasons on record. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts the state will only produce about 70 million boxes of oranges this year, compared to the 81.6 million it produced last year.

In fact, orange production in the state has gone down pretty steadily in recent years. That's due in part to a citrus disease called Huanglongbing, which is transmitted by bug bites. But this year, hurricane winds have spread the pathogen across the state. This has led to the drop in orange production being even more pronounced.

With fewer oranges available, that means orange juice brands have to get creative. Instead of simply passing a higher price for the same product on to consumers, brands like Tropicana and Minute Maid are seeking other solutions. For some offerings, they're going with smaller container sizes. And the brands are also trying out a wider variety of mixed juices, so they can sell orange juice that also contains water and other fruits and flavors.

You Need to Know How to Make the Most Out of a Bad Business Situation

They might not be perfect solutions. But they do present consumers with some different options. And they make the most out of a bad business situation. That's something businesses large and small have to get used to in a world with so many uncontrollable factors.

Orange Grove Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Orange Juice Sellers Get Creative to Combat Poor Harvest (Watch)" was first published on Small Business Trends