The North American Manufacturing Core

Florida may not be part of the North Manufacturing core but it produces a variety of products ranging from fishing, sugar cane, and fruits and vegetables.

Florida's water resources support a strong fishing industry. There are more than 400 or so fish processing and wholesaling plants in the state that help employ nearly 5,000 people annually. More than 100 million pounds of fish and other seafood are caught each year by Floridas fishers, producing a total catch worth more than $207 million. Also, Florida also harvests a variety of seafood such as lobsters, shrimp, clams, and grouper.

Another great product that Florida grows is sugar cane. Palm Beach County accounts for approximately 75 percent of the commercial sugarcane acreage in Florida and 75 percent of the total harvested sugarcane tonnage in Florida. The remainder of Florida's commercially produced sugarcane is grown in Hendry, Glades, and Martin counties. These counties–along with Palm Beach County–are all adjacent to Lake Okeechobee, which is the northernmost portion of the historic Florida Everglades system. This area of commercial sugarcane production is so compact, most visitors to the Sunshine State never see a commercial sugarcane field.

The muck soils of the Everglades are rich in nitrogen and support vigorous cane growth. Nitrogen-rich soils, in combination with the favorable South Florida climate, can sometimes lead to excessive sugarcane growth, which results in large stalks, but with reduced sugar content.

An aerial view of commercial sugarcane fields near Belle Glade, FL

Sugar Cane

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