South Florida farmers assess crop damage after hard freeze

WHEN WE SEE YOU IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. THANK YOU. SOUTH FLORIDA FARMERS ARE FACING THE WORST FREEZE OUR AREA HAS SEEN IN DECADES. AFTER ANOTHER COLD NIGHT, FARMERS ARE NOW CHECKING CROPS FOR DAMAGE. ANGELA ROZIER JOINING US LIVE WITH A LOOK AT WHICH CROPS COULD BE HIT HARDEST AND. WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE OWNER OF THIS FARM HERE IN WEST PALM BEACH STILL ADDED HIS CREW. THEY’RE STILL BUSY. RIGHT NOW THEY’RE UNLOADING THIS VAN HERE. THIS CARGO VAN. IT HAS SOME POTTED PLANTS. ARE TAKING THEM OUT OF THAT VAN. THEY WERE THERE OVERNIGHT TO KEEP IT WARM, AND NOW THEY’RE PUTTING THEM HERE IN THE SHADE ROOM. I CAN TELL YOU THAT HE, AS WELL AS OFFICIALS ON THE TREASURE COAST, ARE STILL ASSESSING THE DAMAGE. ALEXANDER SALAZAR IS THE OWNER OF TROPICAL ACRES FARM IN WEST PALM BEACH. THEY GROW A LOT OF MANGOS, SOME AVOCADOS AND OTHER TROPICAL FRUIT. HE WAS OUT EXAMINING HIS TREES MONDAY MORNING, WHERE THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 28 DEGREES AT AROUND 730. AND HE’S NOW CHECKING TO SEE HOW THEY FARED DURING THE FRIGID WEATHER. WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DAMAGE TO THE LEAVES HERE, SAYS ALL CONTAINER NURSERY AND POTTED TREES THAT WERE COVERED DID GREAT BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO PROTECT THEM UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS, OR THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT THEM INTO CARGO VANS TO KEEP THEM WARM. OUR CONCERN IS OUR TREES THAT ARE TOO BIG TO COVER AND TAKE PROTECTIVE MEASURES ON. SO FAR, ANY DAMAGE WE’RE SEEING IS ON THOSE, BUT IT’S LIMITED SO FAR. IT’S STILL EARLY. WE ASKED HIM TO SHOW US HOW SOMEONE CAN TELL IF THEIR TREE IS DAMAGED. ALL THIS BACK AND JUST DO A SCRATCH TEST HERE. YOU SEE HOW IT’S STILL GREEN? IF THIS WAS DEAD OR DYING, THIS WOULD BE TURNING BROWN. NECROTIC. SO THESE LEAVES ARE NOT GOING TO COME BACK, BUT HOPEFULLY THE AGRICULTURE OFFICIALS ON THE TREASURE COAST WERE ALSO OUT MONDAY MORNING CHECKING CITRUS GROVES IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY. THEY FOUND SOME LEAF BRUISING, WHICH THEY SAY IS NORMAL WITH THE LOW TEMPERATURES. BUT THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE DAMAGE TO BANANA AND PAPAYA TREES. THESE ARE THE DAMAGED PAPAYAS FROM LAST NIGHT. FREEZING. AND ALSO THE ALL BANANAS, THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES. ALL OF THEM ARE JUST DAMAGED. PROBABLY THE BIGGER THE OLDER BANANAS WILL COME BACK. BUT THE YOUNG BANANAS ARE DEAD NOW. ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT FLORIDA’S AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, ALREADY ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE. FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE FARMERS WHO M

‘It’s still early’: South Florida farmers assess crop damage after hard freeze

Updated: 7:31 PM EST Feb 2, 2026

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Farmers across South Florida are assessing the damage to their crops following a hard freeze overnight. In West Palm Beach, Alexander Salazar, owner of Tropical Acres Farm, is examining his tropical fruit trees, including mangos and avocados, after temperatures reached 28 degrees around 7:30 a.m. Monday. “It was certainly very threatening, and so far, with the protective measures we’ve taken and what we have been able to observe the damage doesn’t look too bad, but there is some,” Salazar said. Container nursery and potted trees that were covered did well, but the in-ground trees that were too large to cover showed some damage, though it is still early to determine the full extent.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News”Our concern is our in-ground trees that are too big to cover and take protective measures on,” Salazar said. “So far, any damage we’re seeing is on those, but it’s limited so far, it’s still early.”Agriculture officials on the Treasure Coast are also checking citrus groves in St. Lucie County, where they found some leaf bruising, which is normal with low temperatures. WPBF 25 News reached out to Amir Rezazadeh, who’s an Alternative Crops Multi-County Extension Agent II with the UF/IFAS Extension Fruit office in Fort Pierce. He said the biggest concern is the damage to banana and papaya trees. “These are the damaged papayas from last night’s freezing, and also all the bananas, the different varieties all of them are just damaged. Probably the older bananas will come back, but the young bananas are dead now,” Rezazadeh said. A farmer in the city of Pahokee, who is known for harvesting beans, corn, cabbage and sugar cane, reported that freezes have not been this severe in 25 years, resulting in a loss of about 40% of his above-ground crops.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —

Farmers across South Florida are assessing the damage to their crops following a hard freeze overnight.

In West Palm Beach, Alexander Salazar, owner of Tropical Acres Farm, is examining his tropical fruit trees, including mangos and avocados, after temperatures reached 28 degrees around 7:30 a.m. Monday.

“It was certainly very threatening, and so far, with the protective measures we’ve taken and what we have been able to observe the damage doesn’t look too bad, but there is some,” Salazar said.

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PHOTO: Michael Bierlein

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PHOTO: Jean Sparks

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