The Miami Herald - October 25, 2005 - Christina Hoag - Highlights from the article
Crops that Katrina left standing weren't so lucky this time around, South Dade farmers reported as they started tallying up the collased greehouses, uprooted seedlings and toppled trees Hurricane Wilma left in its wake.
Farmers and agriculture officials said Wilma's havoc was extensive wherever its fierce winds hit in the state. While Hurrican Katrina left plants and equipment drowned in water, Wilma left them shredded by wind.
"We anticipate the damage is going to be quite heavy," said Terry McElroy, spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.
Brooks Tropical, one of South Dade's biggest avocado growers, said that between both hurricanes, 70,000 avocado trees and their fruit were decimated.
"We've lost basically the entire crop -- $12 million," said Craig Wheeling, Chief Executive of Brooks. "But we'll get the trees back up again. This is manageable."
Other tropical fruit trees took a beating, too. Wheeling estimated that 95 percent of South Dade's carambola crop was destroyed.
Wheeling was also concerned that a cargo of papaya from Brooks' farms in Central America currently en route would spoil since Port Everglades remained closed and the ship cannot dock.
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