Deep freeze saddles Florida vegetable growers with hundreds of millions in crop damage

Florida commissioner of agriculture Wilton Simpson shared a startling fact in the aftermath of the recent deep freeze that hit the southeast: total estimated crop losses from the storm eclipsed $3 billion across the state’s diverse agricultural sectors.

The Sunshine State’s sugarcane industry was hit the hardest with over $1 billion in total estimated losses, while sweet corn (nearly $260M), tomatoes (nearly $165M) and bell peppers ($108M) suffered the most significant losses among vegetable crops.

“It is clear that our state’s farmers, ranchers, and growers – who we rely on daily to feed and nourish our communities – need timely and substantial support,” said Simpson. “Working hand in hand with producer groups and our congressional delegation, we stand ready to accept and quickly administer federal block grant funding to support our impacted producers to recover, to replant and to keep our nation fed.”

The following preliminary estimates highlight the losses to Florida’s diverse agricultural sectors, including vegetables and melons, citrus, sugarcane, fruits, horticulture and aquaculture.

Current estimated losses include:

• Tomatoes: $164,273,849
• Strawberries: $306,965,897
• Watermelons $65,437,343
• Sweet Corn: $255,363,251
• Sugarcane: $1,152,122,146
• Bell Peppers: $108,380,389
• Potatoes: $79,065,000
• Cabbage: $21,800,280
• Squash: $24,522,275
• Blueberries: $78,512,400
• Greenhouse and Nursery: $240,000,000
• Citrus: $674,660,336

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, the estimates draw on data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Florida Census of Agriculture, USDA Market News, UF-IFAS Preliminary Freeze Event Assessment, early survey and early communication between FDACS, industry leaders and individual producers who are currently engaged in large-scale recovery efforts.

You can view a PDF file of FDACS’ preliminary estimates below.