Florida growers brace for freeze
Florida growers brace for freeze
The National Weather Service issued a freeze watch Jan. 1 for all of southern Florida that was expected to last from 48 to 72 hours. The posting warned that "a significant and damaging freeze is likely" in most areas.
Low temperatures were forecast for the morning of Jan. 3 and were expected to dip into the lower 20s in the northern interior part of the state and into the mid-30s along the southeast coastline. One meteorologist in southeast Florida predicted snow flurries near the coastline early Thursday morning.
Liz Compton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, told The Produce News Jan. 2 that it was "too soon to get damage reports as the worst of the freeze is expected tonight. But an executive order from Florida Governor Charlie Crist was issued late Monday lifting weight restrictions for trucks so farmers can get their crops to processing plants faster to minimize damage."
The Emergency Management/Freezing Temperatures executive order from Gov. Crist stated that "anyone with agricultural interests should take precautions to protect their crops. It is vital to the agricultural interests of the state to prevent the destruction of those crops that are vulnerable to below- freezing temperatures."
It further stated, "a substantial portion of the crops can be saved from the impending freeze by harvesting them and transporting them to processing sites without delay. Relaxing the weight, height, length and width restrictions for commercial vehicles will ensure that the thawed crops are transported to processing sites without delay."
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles H. Bronson responded quickly to the order by issuing a public notice on the lift. He further alerted organizations representing the state's agriculture producers and trucking interests of the governor's order.
Florida growers were rushing to protect their crops Jan. 2 as they braced for freezing temperatures that followed above-normal temperatures in late 2007. Officials were most concerned about the citrus industry.
Ms. Compton said that if temperatures remain below freezing for four to six hours, trees were likely not to suffer, but damage begins to occur after six hours of freezing temperatures. If the fruit, which is currently in its mid- season of harvesting, freezes, it would be rendered unusable.
She added that beans, corn, cucumbers and eggplant being harvested now could also be affected.
"Tonight is going to be the worse night," Calvert Cullen, president of Northampton Growers, told The Produce News Jan. 2. "The forecast is for the high 20s to low 30s." The company, headquartered in Cheriton, VA, produces a wide variety of field crops seasonally along the Eastern Seaboard.
Some growers were making preparations for helicopters to fly over their fields if temperatures dropped below freezing to keep the air moving and prevent frost. Some were considering turning on irrigation systems, while some were covering their crops or harvesting early.
Samantha Winters, marketing director for the Florida Tomato Committee in Maitland, FL, said Jan. 2 that the brunt of the cold front was expected that night or early the next morning.
"We are anticipating a freeze of some magnitude in the tomato-production region, but we won't know the precise details for a few days," she said. "The extent of damage remains to be seen, and much depends on how long the freezing temperatures last. We are wishing for a conservative forecast."
The freeze compounds the already-serious drought conditions in Florida. While this is typically the dry season across the state, the last two months have been unusually dry. Water levels in Lake Okeechobee, which supplies the majority of south Florida, were at record-low levels in 2007, creating critical shortages for both residents and farmers. Miami has received only 1.45 inches of rain since Nov. 1 compared to a normal of 5.25 inches. West Palm Beach has received only 39 percent of the normal Nov. 1-to-Dec. 25 rainfall. Groundwater levels from southern Palm Beach County to interior Miami-Dade County were down 70-90 percent.
There are more than 40,000 commercial farmers in Florida, and over 280 crops are produced in the state. Florida is listed as ninth in overall agriculture production in the nation, and it ranks first in citrus and second in vegetables and horticultural products.
Low temperatures were forecast for the morning of Jan. 3 and were expected to dip into the lower 20s in the northern interior part of the state and into the mid-30s along the southeast coastline. One meteorologist in southeast Florida predicted snow flurries near the coastline early Thursday morning.
Liz Compton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, told The Produce News Jan. 2 that it was "too soon to get damage reports as the worst of the freeze is expected tonight. But an executive order from Florida Governor Charlie Crist was issued late Monday lifting weight restrictions for trucks so farmers can get their crops to processing plants faster to minimize damage."
The Emergency Management/Freezing Temperatures executive order from Gov. Crist stated that "anyone with agricultural interests should take precautions to protect their crops. It is vital to the agricultural interests of the state to prevent the destruction of those crops that are vulnerable to below- freezing temperatures."
It further stated, "a substantial portion of the crops can be saved from the impending freeze by harvesting them and transporting them to processing sites without delay. Relaxing the weight, height, length and width restrictions for commercial vehicles will ensure that the thawed crops are transported to processing sites without delay."
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles H. Bronson responded quickly to the order by issuing a public notice on the lift. He further alerted organizations representing the state's agriculture producers and trucking interests of the governor's order.
Florida growers were rushing to protect their crops Jan. 2 as they braced for freezing temperatures that followed above-normal temperatures in late 2007. Officials were most concerned about the citrus industry.
Ms. Compton said that if temperatures remain below freezing for four to six hours, trees were likely not to suffer, but damage begins to occur after six hours of freezing temperatures. If the fruit, which is currently in its mid- season of harvesting, freezes, it would be rendered unusable.
She added that beans, corn, cucumbers and eggplant being harvested now could also be affected.
"Tonight is going to be the worse night," Calvert Cullen, president of Northampton Growers, told The Produce News Jan. 2. "The forecast is for the high 20s to low 30s." The company, headquartered in Cheriton, VA, produces a wide variety of field crops seasonally along the Eastern Seaboard.
Some growers were making preparations for helicopters to fly over their fields if temperatures dropped below freezing to keep the air moving and prevent frost. Some were considering turning on irrigation systems, while some were covering their crops or harvesting early.
Samantha Winters, marketing director for the Florida Tomato Committee in Maitland, FL, said Jan. 2 that the brunt of the cold front was expected that night or early the next morning.
"We are anticipating a freeze of some magnitude in the tomato-production region, but we won't know the precise details for a few days," she said. "The extent of damage remains to be seen, and much depends on how long the freezing temperatures last. We are wishing for a conservative forecast."
The freeze compounds the already-serious drought conditions in Florida. While this is typically the dry season across the state, the last two months have been unusually dry. Water levels in Lake Okeechobee, which supplies the majority of south Florida, were at record-low levels in 2007, creating critical shortages for both residents and farmers. Miami has received only 1.45 inches of rain since Nov. 1 compared to a normal of 5.25 inches. West Palm Beach has received only 39 percent of the normal Nov. 1-to-Dec. 25 rainfall. Groundwater levels from southern Palm Beach County to interior Miami-Dade County were down 70-90 percent.
There are more than 40,000 commercial farmers in Florida, and over 280 crops are produced in the state. Florida is listed as ninth in overall agriculture production in the nation, and it ranks first in citrus and second in vegetables and horticultural products.
