Thanks to its temperate climate, California traditionally provides more than half the country's fruits, nuts and vegetables. This winter, however, the state was hit with an unusual period of below-freezing temperatures that devastated its citrus and avocado crops.

For nearly two weeks in January 2007, night temperatures throughout California dipped below 20 degrees, freezing and destroying numerous agricultural crops. More than 70 percent of this season's oranges, lemons and tangerines -- worth nearly $800 million -- were still on trees during the freeze. Since the fruit is typically threatened at temperatures below 28 degrees, most was ruined.


Monetary Loss
The total agricultural loss from the freeze stood at $1.2 billion as of February 2007, which ranks as the costliest loss to California's agricultural industry in nearly a decade. However, damage estimates may increase as more results emerge.

"I'm afraid [the agricultural loss] will increase, but we won't know for a while longer," said A.G. Kawamura, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and also a farmer. "We recognize that our food supply is vulnerable to weather phenomena or diseases. It's something we want to remind everybody -- with agriculture, you can't take it for granted."

California is the nation's biggest producer of fresh citrus, growing roughly 86 percent of lemons and 29 percent of oranges sold in the United States valued at $1.3 billion, according to the CDFA. Only Florida grows more oranges than California, but those oranges are mainly processed for juice. Some California farmers hope to salvage the current frozen crop by converting the ruined citrus to juice.


Other Damage
Citrus wasn't the only crop affected by the freeze. Nearly every California winter crop was damaged, including avocadoes, strawberries, leafy greens, kiwis, artichokes and ornamental flowers. According to the CDFA, as of February 2007, avocado farmers had suffered the second biggest loss with an estimated $100 million, or 30 percent of the 2006-2007 crop.

On California's central coast, which rarely freezes, the cold wave struck at the peak of ripening artichokes, ruining 4,000 to 5,000 acres of artichokes at an estimated loss of $5 million.


State of Emergency
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in 18 counties, allowing affected California farmers to apply for and receive low-interest loans. Some farmers have insurance, which covers about 70 percent of a loss from disasters. However, even crop insurance doesn't encompass the entire damage, said Nancy Lungren, deputy secretary of public affairs for the CDFA.

"That 30 percent of lost revenue can make or break a grower," she said, "especially small acreage growers -- so the disaster relief is helpful."

But many smaller California growers -- particularly those who produce "specialty crops," like kiwis, grapes, strawberries, asparagus and peaches -- don't have crop insurance. For them, Lungren said, low-interest government loans may be the only way to economically survive the freeze.

The effects of the freeze may extend far beyond this year's crops, with some farmers estimating two to four years before full recovery for citrus and avocado crops.

In 1990, when a similar freeze hit California and nearly destroyed the entire citrus crop, it took two years for the citrus crop to fully recover. Although the damage from the freeze hasn't been fully calculated, CDFA officials predict that it weakened the reproductive abilities of the trees and could make them more vulnerable to pests. Buds for the next year may have been damaged, and trees with harsh damage may need to be severely pruned back, limiting future production.


Farmers Persevere
The repercussions of the freeze have already extended to the nationwide market, driving up prices for citrus, avocadoes, broccoli, lettuce and strawberries. Yet the produce market gap caused by California's freeze is expected to be filled by overseas produce.