ORLANDO, Fla. — With all of Florida under a freeze warning, citrus and other farmers prepared Wednesday for possibly damaging temperatures into the teens and 20s. Florida’s citrus industry, the biggest in the U.S., is already struggling from years of diseases and hurricanes, and a serious freeze would be devastating. This one, forecast for Wednesday night and today, isn’t expected to be too bad.
“Growers are definitely concerned any time the temperature is forecast to dip near 30 degrees,” said Andrew Meadows, spokesman for the grower advocacy group Florida Citrus Mutual. “We will have a lot of growers across the state pulling all-nighters and keeping a close watch on their groves and the temperature. We are cautiously optimistic the industry can weather this cold snap without significant damage.” At potential risk is a broad variety of produce, from broccoli and cabbage in northern Florida to strawberries, tomatoes, corn and citrus toward the south.
