Maitland, FL, October 19, 2022 – Florida’s November tomato crop will be smaller than normal due to the impact of Hurricane Ian, but Florida will remain a significant supplier from now through December. The weather since the hurricane has been ideal, allowing growers to quickly recuperate fields. This means that even those farms that sustained damage will be able to harvest a portion of their crop.
The storm had no impact on tomato production in North Florida, which will have steady volume from now through mid-November. As the harvest moves south to Central Florida, supplies will be lighter than normal due to the impact of the storm around the Palmetto and Ruskin growing areas. November volume will be down, but there will still be tomatoes available. Central Florida production is expected to ramp up through December. The storm’s impact was less severe in the Southwest Florida growing regions around Naples and Immokalee, which will help offset reduced volume in Central Florida. Production in Southwest Florida will steadily increase starting in December.
Plantings for South Florida’s winter tomato crop have continued as normal with no impact from the hurricane.
Contact:
Michael Schadler
Executive Vice President
Florida Tomato Exchange
(407) 660-1949
michael@FloridaTomatoExchange.com
About the Florida Tomato Exchange:
The member companies of the Florida Tomato Exchange produce over 90 percent of the tomatoes grown in Florida and are among the largest producers of tomatoes in California, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. FTE member companies produce approximately 50 percent of the fresh-market tomatoes grown in the U.S.
