A rare winter storm has dropped snow from Texas to North Florida. This cold snap is the result of a disruption in the polar vortex, a ring of cold air usually surrounding the earth's poles. For two-thirds of the eastern part of the U.S., the record low temperatures are expected to continue through Thursday. The weather is having an impact on demand for produce. With large parts of the country dealing with winter storms, people are making fewer trips to the store.
In Florida, the central and northern parts of the state are affected by the cold weather the most. This includes Pensacola, Tallahassee, Gainesville and Jacksonville. "In this region, cabbage is grown this time of year, and it will be hurt," says Geoff Taft with Pioneer Growers. "I don't know if they have started planting any spring crops yet that could potentially be affected," he added. The expectation is for losses to occur in the coldest areas.
In the Plant City area, where strawberries are grown, cold weather has slowed down production. "However, it has helped with quality and sizing," says Matthew Giddings with Always Fresh Farms. "There is no damage, but it helped clean up botrytis." The company packed strawberries ahead of the storm and communicated with their customers to expect production to slow down temporarily. Despite the slowdown in production, there should be great quality, flavor and volume for Valentine's Day. "In addition, we are expecting great promotional opportunities for March," said Giddings.
South Florida has also experienced some cold weather, but nothing like up north. Nevertheless, the lower temperatures in the south may slow down the crops moving forward. "For us, so far our Belle Glade area sweet corn and Homestead, FL sweet corn are looking good," Taft shared.
Tomorrow, a more extensive update will be available on the potential impact on crops in both Texas and Florida.
For more information:
Geoff Taft
Pioneer Growers
Tel: +1 (561) 996-5211
[email protected]
www.pioneergrowers.comMatthew Giddings
Always Fresh Farms
Tel: (+1) 863-401-3404
[email protected]
www.alwaysfresh.com