$3 Billion In Florida Freeze Losses Claims Department of Agriculture

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ preliminary estimates of losses to Florida agriculture from the recent freezes, including more than $3 billion in total estimated losses across the state’s diverse agricultural sectors.

These preliminary estimates highlight the losses to Florida’s diverse agricultural sectors, including vegetables and melons, citrus, sugarcane, fruits, horticulture, and aquaculture. The figures will be updated as additional information becomes available. 

Estimated losses include:

Total estimated losses to Florida agriculture: Over $3.1 billion

Tomatoes: $164,273,849
Strawberries: $306,965,897
Watermelons $65,437,343
Sweet Corn: $255,363,251
Sugarcane: $1,152,122,146
Bell Peppers: $108,380,389
Potatoes: $79,065,000
Cabbage: $21,800,280
Squash: $24,522,275
Blueberries: $78,512,400
Greenhouse and Nursery: $240,000,000
Citrus: $674,660,336

These estimates draw on data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Florida Census of Agriculture, USDA Market News, UF-IFAS Preliminary Freeze Event Assessment, early survey and early communication between FDACS, industry leaders, and individual producers who are currently engaged in large-scale recovery efforts.

A copy of FDACS’ preliminary estimates can be found here.