Hurricane Damage Impacts Florida’s Agricultural Industry Ahead of Holiday Season.
Talmadge Coley, the CEO of the Florida Grower and Landscape Association, spoke with FOX Weather about the effects of recent hurricanes on agricultural consumers. He noted that Hurricane Milton caused significant damage throughout Florida, affecting a variety of crops, including the popular holiday plant, poinsettias.
The nursery and landscape sector in Florida faced severe losses due to hurricanes Helene and Milton. This disruption could change how Christmas looks this year, particularly for vibrant holiday plants like poinsettias.
The Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) reported that Florida’s $31 billion environmental horticulture industry contributes to the state’s reputation as a lush tropical paradise. However, the back-to-back hurricanes this season devastated crops and damaged infrastructure and farming equipment. According to FNGLA CEO Coley, this hurricane season was a major setback for Florida’s nursery farmers.
Coley explained that Hurricane Milton’s outer bands produced tornadoes that damaged areas in South Florida, far from where the storm made landfall as a Category 3 cyclone near Siesta Key on the west coast.
The storm’s harsh conditions severely impacted greenhouses at Brad’s Bedding Plants in Delray Beach, Florida, toppling structures and damaging plants.
Coley described the widespread damage across Florida, noting that areas such as Sarasota, Bradenton, and parts north of Orlando and Apopka were heavily affected. He also pointed out that the tornadoes reached down to Palm Beach County, particularly in the Loxahatchee area.
In western and central Florida, winds exceeding 100 mph knocked over crops and trees, destroying greenhouse enclosures and fencing at Ralph Taylor’s Nurseries in Bradenton. Additionally, flooding rains submerged some nurseries, including Atchison Exotics in Venice, which also faced tornado damage at its Delray Beach location. Owner Mike Atchison reported that century-old oak trees were uprooted.
Coley characterized the impact as a “triangle of destruction” for the industry, highlighting that many areas in the state were affected.
According to FNGLA, nearly 270,000 people work in Florida’s nursery and landscaping industry. As the holiday season nears, consumers can expect to see plant shortages due to the hurricanes.
Coley stated, “We are going to see shortages. We grow a lot of poinsettias down here, and I expect these shortages to be mainly in the Southeast, especially here in Florida. This will affect your Christmas plants as well as other plants.”
Despite their resilience following numerous hurricane seasons, Coley warned that full recovery for Florida’s agricultural industry will take time.
He emphasized the importance of the industry in Florida’s recovery, stating, “Many people don’t realize how crucial our industry is to the overall recovery. It’s our growers who create the lush tropical paradise that Florida is known for. We need support to navigate this difficult period and get back on our feet.”
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