Winter Garden Today

A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert said specialty crop producers in South Texas have been heavily affected by COVID-19 disruptions.

Dr. Luis Ribera told the Waco Tribune specialty crops are going to waste because of lower demand and decreased prices caused by excessive supplies. Citrus fruits and onions are among the hardest hit crops, though the exact impact is unknown.

Ribera and his colleagues are making a report on the coronavirus-related economic fallout that Texas agriculture producers are facing in the wake of stay-at-home orders and the closure of schools, which has broken traditional supply lines.

“Some fresh fruits and vegetables don’t have a home to go to,” Ribera told the Tribune. “These are highly perishable products with reduced to no outlets. They can’t be stored, and prices are very low. At a certain point prices become so low the crops aren’t worth harvesting, so they disk it under.”