Some citrus growers move to bamboo

Some citrus growers are hedging their bets amid an uncertain forecast by growing a new crop — bamboo.

Byron and Cynthia Matteson planted 35 acres of bamboo at their Frostproof farm last week. The fatal bacterial disease citrus greening has led to more than a 70 percent reduction in annual citrus crop while nearly tripling the cost of production.

Bamboo, on the other hand, has a sunny forecast. It also takes five to 10 years to make a profit on a new citrus grove. But bamboo can turn a profit in just three.