Canadian greenhouse tomato growers are capitalizing on the loss of Florida-grown tomatoes due to January’s freezing temperatures. Nearly 70% of the Florida crop was destroyed by an 11-day freeze.
George Gilvesy, general manager of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, told 680News in Toronto that Canadian growers should be able to handle the increased demand for fresh tomatoes.
“This is just a reality of agriculture, that especially when you grow crops outside, it’s very unpredictable and we have to deal with the weather, and that’s the one benefit that greenhouse growers have, is they're a little bit more predictable because they've got less of those environmental factors to play with,” Gilvesy said.
After the freeze the average wholesale price of a 25 lb. box of Florida tomatoes increased to $30. The same box costs $6.50 last year.