Florida vegetables an unexpected victim of the coronavirus

Tomato grower calls it a 'catastrophe'

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Photo by: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

In this March 28, 2020, photo, a pile of ripe squash sits in a field, in Homestead, Fla. Thousands of acres of fruits and vegetables grown in Florida are being plowed over or left to rot because farmers can't sell to restaurants, theme parks or schools nationwide that have closed because of the coronavirus.

By: TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press

Posted at 12:55 PM, Apr 08, 2020

and last updated 12:59 PM, Apr 08, 2020

PALMETTO, Fla. — Mounds of harvested zucchini and yellow squash ripened and then rotted in the hot Florida sun. Juicy tomatoes were left to wither — unpicked — in farmers' fields.

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Thousands of acres of fruits and vegetables grown in Florida are being plowed over or left to rot because farmers can’t sell to restaurants, theme parks or schools nationwide that have closed because of the coronavirus.

Other states are having the same issues — agriculture officials say leafy greens in California are being hit especially hard, and dairy farmers in Vermont and Wisconsin say they have had to dump a surplus of milk intended for restaurants.

https://www.wptv.com/coronavirus/florida-vegetables-an-unexpected-victim-of-the-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR3eVaRsECLiart0XwrxJz_pmmbw0jviK7Fje-2TGFzaUWAEN3YxsyFe4XQ