Florida Tomato Farmers Watch Crops Rot as Tariffs and Immigration Crackdowns Bite

Florida tomato farmers are watching their crops go to waste — not because of weather, but due to economic and labor pressures. Tony DiMare, whose family owns 4,000 acres of tomato farms in Florida and California, said Trump-era tariff and immigration policies are driving farmers to abandon produce in the fields.

Labor shortages, caused by mass deportations and fear among undocumented workers, have left farms without enough pickers. About 50% of U.S. farm workers are undocumented, including skilled supervisors and machine operators. One anonymous worker told WSVN, “A lot of people are really afraid… and the harvest is lost because it cannot be harvested.”

Meanwhile, tariffs on imported produce have flooded the market with Mexican tomatoes, causing wholesale prices to plummet from $16 per box to as low as $3–$4 — far below the $10–$11 needed for farmers to break even. As Heather Moehling, president of the Miami-Dade County Farm Bureau, explained, “Between the cost of the labor and the inputs… it’s more cost-effective for the farmers to just plow them right now.”

The combined effect of labor shortages and tariffs is expected to impact grocery stores, forcing consumers to pay more for produce or rely on imports.

Experts suggest practical ways to mitigate these costs:

• Support local farmers through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships.

• Shop frugally using coupons and deals.

• Use micro-investing apps like Acorns to save spare change automatically.

• Review monthly bills, especially car insurance, to reduce expenses.

• Consider high-yield cash accounts such as Wealthfront Cash to earn competitive interest on emergency funds.

As policies continue to shape farm economics, consumers and farmers alike are learning to adapt and prepare for higher costs and tighter margins in the agricultural market.