It’s not easy being a tomato farmer in Florida, but even as their numbers dwindle, enough die-hard farmers remain to earn Florida the No. 1 ranking for the value of fresh-market tomatoes in the U.S.
Bananas, plantains, yuca and a variety of tropical produce could be in short supply this fall because of excessive rain in South and Central America, said Billy Mascari, of Cedro Banana Distributors.
Florida locations of Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. will participate in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Fresh From Florida program during the coming year.
The state’s 2023-24 tomato acreage should be similar to last season’s, but volume should be up because Hurricane Ian put a damper on production last year, said Michael Schadler of the Florida Tomato Exchange.
