South Florida farmers are assessing damage after freezing temperatures swept across the region early Monday morning, with growers warning that the cold could soon lead to higher prices for fruits and vegetables.
At Kern Carpenter Nursery, owner Kern Carpenter said nearly 20% of his tomato crop was damaged by the overnight freeze.
“The wind died, and it got cold really fast. We did the best we could and still got burned,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter is not alone. Sam Accursio, a green bean farmer in South Florida, shared a video with CBS News Miami showing frost covering his plants just before sunrise.
“These plants were just like an ice cube. You could go up to them, and the leaves were crunchy,” Accursio said.
Accursio and his workers began watering crops before 1 a.m. in an effort to prevent frost damage, but hundreds of plants were still affected.
With another cold night in the forecast, farmers are preparing for more potential losses.
“They’re saying upper 30s, low 40s. We’re hoping we don’t have to crank up anything again,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter added that excess watering can also harm crops, creating another challenge for farmers trying to protect their fields.
At Robert Is Here, a popular South Florida fruit market established in 1959, shoppers may soon feel the impact.
Asked whether prices could increase, owner Robert Moehling Jr. said consumers should expect changes.
“100% you are going to feel it in the market. With the frost, it can cause damage, and having continuous days of frost makes it worse,” he said.
Accursio says green bean prices are especially vulnerable.
“In this particular case, the lack of product will probably drive the price up,” he said.
Despite the losses, some farmers say South Florida could help offset shortages caused by freeze damage in North and Central Florida.
Carpenter said he has already seen tomato prices rise and believes additional cold could make things worse.
“I would think in the next few weeks the prices would go up,” he said.
Farmers say they will need 48 to 72 hours to fully assess the extent of the damage and are still bracing for the impact of another cold night.
