Florida Freeze Boosts Vegetable Prices

Last weekend’s cold snap caused at least $100 million in frost damage to Florida’s winter vegetable crop, pushing wholesale and retail prices immediately higher, the Florida agriculture department said. Heavy losses to beans, squash, peppers and tomatoes were reported by some state farmers. Wholesale prices for winter vegetables were already rising quickly, according to farmers. Green beans that survived the cold snap commanded $22 a bushel at a Dade County packinghouse on Monday, compared with $12 a bushel last week. Some supermarkets in the Miami area marked up retail prices, reflecting the higher cost of produce. It remained unclear how much of Florida’s citrus crop was damaged by the freeze. The losses could mean stepped-up demand and therefore higher prices for the lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower grown in California’s Imperial and Coachella valleys.