CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The big freeze that ended last week is going to affect your wallet. The prices of fruits and veggies from Florida are skyrocketing.
For example, two weeks ago, buyers paid $10 a case for green beans and $7 for squash. Now, those numbers jumped to $47 for beans and $44 for squash.
"It's your beans, your tomatoes, squash, cucumbers," said Frank Suddreth, manager at the North Carolina State Government Department of Agriculture: Charlotte Regional Farmer's Market.
He says it's those veggies specifically because "most of those products are about 97 percent water anyway and cold weather just takes them out."
In fact, the Florida freeze took out a significant portion of the country's domestic winter produce supply. That's driving prices way up.
"I'd say we had a hit of at least 30 percent over any previous year," said Suddreth.
Shoppers say despite the higher prices, the Farmer's Market still beats the grocery stores.
"We usually get all the vegetables and fruit," said shopper Annie Metcalf.
Her friend Adrienne Lane said, "It's the cheapest here."
Local seller Jesse Deal says most people understand the price increase. "We're still not as high as they are, but our prices have increased."
That's because during the winter months farmers in the Carolinas can't grow very much. With the lack of local produce, local farmers' markets have to get much of their produce from Florida.
Relief from those high prices could be just a few weeks or months away, depending on the temperatures. As things start to warm up across the country, growers in other states can start planting their produce. Since it hasn't been in the ground yet it shouldn't be affected by the freeze. That means the prices should be closer to normal.
"It'll come right back," said Suddreth about the prices.
Deal agrees. He says, "Starting in April, from April through September, everything will be coming out of North Carolina, local farmers… It's just going to be a short-term affect."
That's some healthy news for shoppers.
