Farmers Struggle To Sell Produce Dying On Vine During Coronavirus

ACROSS FLORIDA —With restaurants, the biggest consumers of Florida-grown produce, closed except for takeout and delivery, Florida farmers are finding themselves with a surplus of fruits and vegetables with nowhere to sell it.

To help Florida's farmers as well as residents in need of fresh, nutritious foods during the coronavirus pandemic, on Thursday Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced the creation of a Florida Farm to You commodities list.

The list is intended to connect consumers with producers of Florida-grown commodities like fruit, vegetables, seafood, poultry and dairy.

"With restaurants and food service businesses closed due to COVID-19, agricultural producers across the country have struggled to sell perishable products like fruits and vegetables," said Fried.

The Florida Farm to You commodities list is updated daily with Florida-grown products including tomatoes, watermelons, lettuce, blueberries, oysters, chicken and tilapia.

By emailing FLFarmToYou@FDACS.gov, Florida farmers can have their available products listed.

Buyers, food banks and consumers can directly connect with growers selling products using the contact information on the list.

To get more fresh produce to the residents who need it, Fried has spoken with major grocery store chains requesting they stock more Florida-grown commodities.

Sprouts Farmers Markets has already told Fried that it will increase efforts to stock more Fresh From Florida and Florida-grown products.

“We have worked tirelessly to support Florida’s farmers during COVID-19 by connecting them with buyers and consumers, and our Florida Farm to You commodities list is the latest way we’re doing so,” said Fried. “There’s no silver bullet to solving the decreased demand from food service businesses, but by connecting our agricultural producers with willing takers, we can help move Florida-grown products from fields to consumers.”

"No food should go to waste," said Lisa Lochridge, public affairs director for the Florida Fruit and Vegetables Association. "With restaurants around the country shut down during COVID-19, there is significantly less demand for fresh produce like tomatoes, cabbage and green beans. Florida farmers have donated more than one million pounds to food banks, but there’s still more crops in the ground ready to be harvested and consumed."

She said Florida farmers are frustrated watching their produce rot in the fields while Florida grocery stores continue to purchase produce from outside the state.

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"If you're looking for the freshest produce possible, look for Florida on the label at the grocery store," she said. "Ask retailers to buy Florida produce if they don't have it. You can also buy directly from the farm for a limited time while there are disruptions in the supply chain during COVID-19."

In addition to the Florida Farm to You commodities list, the association has created its own listwhere Floridians seeking fresh produce can find fruits and vegetables for sale.

Florida's growers aren't the only farmers hurting during the pandemic.

Fried has spoken with major retailers including Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods, and asked them to end consumer purchase limits on milk. With reports of dairy processors dumping excess milk that cannot be moved to market quickly enough, removing purchase limits is a common-sense step for both retailers and consumers, she said.

“We’re doing everything we can to support Florida’s dairy farmers and processors during this unprecedented challenge,” said Fried. “With decreases in food service demand, we’re asking retailers to end consumer milk purchase limits, we’re working with federal and state agencies to increase their purchases of Florida milk, and we’re working hard to help our dairy producers move their products to market.”

“Our dairy farmers and processors need our support now more than ever, and we’re working to provide them solutions,” said Zachary Conlin, bureau chief of dairy industry for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “From connecting processors with cold storage providers and finding new ways to get milk to schools and consumers, we’re trying every day to help Florida’s dairy producers weather the storm.”

In the meantime, Fried said she is working with members of Congress to request that the USDA quickly establish relief programs to distribute the $9.5 billion in direct financial assistance provided in the CARES Act stimulus package to support agricultural producers, including dairy producers, impacted by the coronavirus.

She's also spoken with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue about increasing federal purchases of Florida milk products.

The USDA's Risk Management Agency announced Friday that it has also taken steps to help the country's dairy farmers by not penalizing them for dumping milk and extending inspection deadlines.

Other organizations have stepped in to help Florida's farmers as well.

Feeding Florida has created a map and directory of Fresh Access Bucks markets currently operating. The FAB program provides discounts on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases of Florida-grown produce. Feeding Florida also provides a directory of food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens.

The Florida Farm Bureau has also put together a comprehensive list of farms and farm stands across the state offering Fresh from Florida fruits and vegetables to consumers.

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