Graves Williams, a tomato farmer and packaging plant operator in Florida, is calculating his losses following the recent tomato scare, nationwide.
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a few days into the scare indicated that Florida tomatoes are fine, tomato farmers in the State have sustained more than 100 million in lost crops.
Tomatoes were not the cause of the recent 1,200 Salmonella cases nationwide, but this declaration by the FDA came much too late for Florida tomato farmers.
Consumers were scared to buy tomatoes, and although tomatoes were placed on the safe-to-eat list, they bought other produce and millions of Florida tomatoes rotted on the vine.
Florida’s Department of Agriculture says that some farmers were losing money by harvesting tomatoes, given that there were no buyers once they were picked, packed and shipped. It would have been more cost effective to let them rot on the vine.
According to Williams, farmers at his plant lost more than 12 million dollars. “We couldn’t give tomatoes away”, Williams said.
Williams will submit his findings to US lawmakers who will ask Congress to compensate farmers in Florida.
Says Williams, “I’m used to hurricanes, I’m used to pests. I never thought the federal Government would be the pest that put me out of business.”
Williams is very concerned that if farmers are not compensated, some may well have to sell their land.
US Congressman, Allen Boyd, is set to meet with the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and tomato farmers next week.
