As 2010 dawned, many of Florida's fruit and vegetable growers were working hard in mid-harvest. A month later, the New Year's celebrations with fireworks and football bowl games seem like a distant memory. A record-breaking period of sub-freezing temperatures changed the landscape - literally.

Fields of squash in South Florida died as a result from the recent freeze.

In southwest Florida, experts estimated crop losses at more than $147 million. In addition, loss of income for that region’s farmworkers totaled about $23.6 million. Dr. Fritz Roka and Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton of the University of Florida compiled the figures along with Gene McAvoy from the Hendry County Cooperative Extension Service. The estimate included tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans, sweet corn, squash and cucumbers.

Farther north, Ted Campbell, director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, said that in spite of a huge effort to protect berries via overhead irrigation, the cold spell made the entire month of January a washout for his Central Florida growers. “That’s a huge hole in their year,” Campbell told reporters.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson toured damaged areas in South Florida on Jan. 20, seeing firsthand the losses in tomato fields near Immokalee as well as Belle Glade’s sweet corn and green beans. Those growers told Bronson their crops had been wiped out.

Jamie Williams of Six L's shows Rep. Adam Putnam freeze damage in tomato plants.

In addition, U.S. Sugar Corp. told The Wall Street Journal that the freezing temperatures damaged 50 percent of the company’s unharvested sugar cane crop. Citrus producers saw varying amounts of damage.

After harvesting what they could, growers will direct their efforts now to replanting many of those crops most affected so as to satisfy shoppers' needs for fresh Florida produce.

DISASTER DESIGNATION COULD BRING NEEDED AID

After reviewing loss assessment reports and information from its Farm Service Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Jan. 29 designated 60 of Florida's 67 counties as primary natural disaster areas. In addition, four counties qualified as contiguous counties. Qualified farm operators in all those areas will be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

In asking U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for the disaster declaration, Gov. Charlie Crist said, “No sector of agriculture appears to have been spared. Citrus, sugar cane, nursery crops, tropical fish, sweet corn, tomatoes, snap beans, strawberries, blueberries, peppers, avocados, mangoes and oats are some of the crops that appear to have sustained significant damage.”

The government disaster aid is important because although many farmers have crop insurance (to be eligible for federal disaster relief, they must have insurance), coverage is not triggered right away. In many cases, farmers must absorb as much as one-third of their losses before insurance claims are paid.

Strawberry growers soaked their fields to prevent freeze damage.            -Photo credit: Wishnatzki Farms

The U.S. government works with 15 private insurers to provide crop insurance under a program managed by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency. Private crop insurers and their agents are obliged to take all farmers who ask for coverage. The federal government backs up the private carriers so that no single carrier is disproportionately hit by a catastrophe like the recent freeze.

In addition, the new Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) can help producers recoup a portion of their losses. SURE is a part of the latest farm bill and just became effective Jan. 4.

Vilsack encouraged growers to contact their local Farm Service Agency office for information and direction based on their individual situation. In addition, background materials and other documents are posted at ffva.com. FFVA producer member with questions are encouraged to call the association’s Maitland office at (321) 214-5200.