Calif. Citrus Crops In Peril After Freeze

Nearly $1B Lost After Wave Of Icy Weather Destroyed Three-Quarters Of Crops

(CBS/AP)  From Valentine's Day bouquets to Super Bowl spreads, shoppers soon will be feeling the sting of higher prices from a wave of icy weather that has hit California farms.

As much as three-quarters of the state's citrus crop withered in the field during the cold snap, but nearly every winter crop, from avocados to fresh-cut flowers, has suffered severely.

The damage to the citrus crops alone is estimated at nearly $1 billion, officials told CBS News correspondent Steve Futterman.

The shortages' impact wasn't lost on Joseph Vasquez, who realized what it could mean for his party plans with NFL playoffs in full swing.

"Avocados are expensive enough as it is," the 32-year-old Pasadena school teacher said. "We may have to do without guacamole for a while. And we may be drinking our Coronas without limes."

Price hikes still won't be enough to offset the damage, as growers cope with losses following four consecutive nights of subfreezing temperatures.

On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the federal government for disaster aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Small Business Administration for growers and other affected businesses.

"This is not just about the crop this year. It could also have a devastating effect next year," Schwarzenegger said after touring a devastated orange grove in Fresno. "My administration will make sure that we do everything we can to help the farmers and workers get through this."

The state's citrus industry stands to take the biggest economic hit of all crops.

California is the nation's No. 1 producer of fresh citrus, growing about 86 percent of lemons and 21 percent of oranges sold in the U.S., according to the California Farm Bureau. Florida produces more citrus overall, mostly for use in orange juice, according to the USDA.

Growers say more than 70 percent of this season's oranges, lemons and tangerines were still on the trees as nighttime temperatures in California's Central Valley dipped into the low 20s and teens beginning Friday. The fruit is threatened whenever the mercury falls below 28 degrees.

"Limited amounts were harvested before the freeze, so it's not like the markets are going to dry up suddenly," said Claire Smith, a spokeswoman for Sunkist Growers Inc., a Los Angeles-based cooperative owned by some 6,000 growers in California and Arizona.

Still, the diminished supply is bound to drive up prices, Smith said. Sunkist may import oranges and other fruit from South Africa and other countries.

[hermit22]

time to get out the rhubarb.

[bhappy2-2]

I am growing my own. They havn't made anything yet. Maybe they will if the neighbors DOGS will leave them alone long enough.
Most of the produce I see in the stores are from other countries anyway. THANKS WAL MART! Way to go! BUY AMERICAN!!!

[Syndicate]

I never was good at spelling i prefer math. I live like a quarter mile from a sunkist juicer plant. They go through a lot of oranges here in central calli. My dads worried my mom will get laid off. she works there. I find the entire situation amusing. you know after all its only January. Its been know to freeze around here. Hell it even snowed in 1999.

[bildooreilly]

and I can't spell tonight...

[bildooreilly]

what's funny is very little of the orange juice you drink is from oranges grown in the united states in the first place, a lot of companies are importing concentrate from south america, you really have to ready the labels well. I usually by Floridas Best I think it is, or maybe it's called Floridas Natural... whatever.. it's pretty good, and grown in florida..... Also most apple juice is from concentrate made in China so don't feed that *** to your kids.

[papaw29]

I am a 48 year old grandfather with two granddaughters. They love all kinds of citrus fruit and juice. The last few years the price of anything citrus has gone up so much, i cannot affort it anyway. So if the RICH citrus growers that also get insurance payments for the loses think i will pay more for their freeze burn low quality product they may as well let it rot on the trees. If everyone would take this opinion they would get off the high horse and lower the price. What do you think?

[feelfree1]

I just enjoyed an orange.

It was delicious.

[nothappyatall]

To te tune of "let it snow" : Let it soar let it soar let it soar, I don't eat citrus fruit so the price can go where ever.