The extra rainfall has some produce distributors concerned and it might affect how much consumers spend on holiday recipes.
Pete Johnson, the owner of Quality First Produce, believes the rain is the cause of the black mold on his 1,500-pounds of okra. He is returning his purchase of $22,000 back to the growers in Homestead from where it came from.
“It’s too much rain, we’ve lost a lot of our early plantings,” said Johnson. “When there is rainfall over five inches, it goes over the plants and kills them.”
According to Johnson, higher ground like the Redlands were saved, but lower grounds like the Everglades and Homestead were lost. The produce growers for Quality First Produce in Homestead lost about 50 acres of squash and zucchini. Johnson said this will be affecting the price consumers spend on some Thanksgiving meals.
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“For Thanksgiving, it should be a little higher priced because of the rain,” said Johnson referring to the cost of zucchini and squash. “There are less products so there will be a higher price for them.”
The Florida Department of Agriculture said it is too early to assess the situation.
