Unseasonably Frigid Cold Snap Affecting South Florida's Agriculture

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – South Florida farmers took precautions to protect their crops ahead of the bitter blast, but it's unclear how the plants will respond.

"The coldest I saw in one of my fields was 31 degrees on a handheld," said Sam Accursio from Accursio & Sons Farms.

Accursio says the recent cold snap has left the future of their crop up in the air.

"The wind prior to the cold weather is the main problem we have now," said Accursio. "It shredded some of our plants. We're hydrating them now with water and hopefully there going to rebound. We're a little concerned with what's happening tonight."

The bitter arctic air was the coldest the area has seen in decades. It left those who rely on the milder temperatures preparing for the worst. And in addition to watering, many farmers also stopped cultivating the soil to keep the heat in.

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Accursio says they're no exact science to how the plants will respond.

"We just have to see the damage in the days to come and see the impact to the consumer because our production in the state Florida probably went to half of what it should be coming into this weekend. So it may raise the price of produce," Accursio said.

Accursio says about 50% of South Florida produce is framed locally. If the colder than normal weather does have a negative impact on the plants, it will create a supply and demand issue. However, he says there is hope.

"Compared to last January, we had adverse weather all month, rain, wind the whole month of January, and that plant toughens up because it's being shook around and the root system is trying to hold onto the ground. It was a tougher plant going into this cold wave that we haven't seen in 10 to 12 years," he said.