The Sunshine State is the only place in the U.S. where tomatoes are grown on a large scale during winter. But even there, cold weather in January and February killed plants and caused a shortage that had some grocers charging nearly $4 a pound.
Now that the weather has warmed, Florida farmers are seeing their surviving plants mature and tomatoes ripen all at once. That's caused a glut, and farmers who were getting $30 for 25 pounds in March are now averaging only about $4.75. Supermarket prices are falling too.
Some farmers say they'll leave their tomatoes in the field, rather than sell them at a loss.
