Hendry County extension director reports severe crop losses after freeze; USDA disaster declaration cited

Craig Fry, Hendry County extension director, told commissioners that recent freezes and ongoing drought had inflicted widespread damage to area agriculture. "Generally, it is easily 30% losses," Fry said, adding that "some crops are 60 to nearly a 100% losses," with beans described as having been "nearly 100% losses" in some areas.

Fry described variable impacts by crop and growth stage: young tomato transplants fared better than older plants, watermelon can regrow after foliage dieback but will face reduced yields, and sugarcane is showing internal decay accelerated by high temperatures. He said the event was unusually widespread — affecting areas from Homestead to Naples — and called it "the worst cold event" in decades according to local growers.

Fry noted the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture declared a disaster emergency for Florida related to the freezes, which could open federal assistance to growers. He also discussed crop‑insurance limitations tied to planting windows and proposed exploring shorter planting windows (for example, 6‑week cycles used in the Midwest) to make insurance payouts more effective for local growers.

Commissioners asked about job losses and sugarcane estimates; Fry said some harvest and labor contractors had been affected and that larger growers often retain crews longer, while smaller labor contractors had experienced more disruption. He recommended staff and the county continue outreach to growers and to pursue policy options that could improve farmers’ access to recovery programs.

The board thanked Fry for the update; staff said they would monitor assistance programs and follow up with growers and county emergency officials as conditions and federal/state relief evolve.