Florida joins in curb on California fruit

Florida, trying to protect its $12 billion-a-year agricultural industry, joined six other states in banning imports of California fruit unless they were checked and certified free of Mediterranean fruit flies. Other Southern states banning California's produce because of the fruit flies are Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas.

Florida grows about half the world's grapefruit and a quarter of its oranges and produces 90 percent of its orange juice concentrates.

About 45 truckloads of California fruit and vegetables enter Florida daily -- worth about $500 milli on a year.