Florida Farmers Destroy Tomato Crop as Trump's Tariffs and Labor Shortages Bite

Florida tomato growers are being forced to plow over healthy crops rather than harvest them, as a mix of tariffs, labor shortages, and plunging prices make it impossible to break even.

Tony DiMare, whose family operates 4,000 acres of tomato farms in Florida and California, said entire fields of tomatoes in Florida have been left to rot. But it's not because of the growing conditions, it’s the economics.

Labor Shortage Worsens

About half of all U.S. farm workers are undocumented migrants. But as the Trump administration ramps up deportations, many farms no longer have enough workers to harvest their crops.

Some workers are so fearful of deportation that they simply stop showing up. “A lot of people are really afraid, and sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t,” one farm worker said. “And the harvest is lost because it cannot be harvested.”

With fewer workers available, labor costs for those who remain have also spiked — piling on to the economic pressure for farmers.

Tomato Prices Collapse

The trouble isn’t just on the labor side. Earlier this year, the Trump administration threatened steep tariffs on Mexican tomatoes. In response, Mexican suppliers flooded the U.S. market, doubling or even tripling their exports between January and April.

The surge in supply caused wholesale prices to nosedive from about $16 a box to just $3 or $4 — far below the $10–$11 per box most farmers need to break even.

“You can’t even afford to pick them right now,” said Heather Moehling, president of the Miami-Dade County Farm Bureau. “Between the cost of labor and the inputs that go in, it’s more cost-effective for the farmers to just plow them.”

Tariffs Begin to Take Hold

In July, the administration officially enacted a 17% tariff on most imports of fresh tomatoes from Mexico. Experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies say it may take months before the full impact of those tariffs becomes clear.

For now, many Florida growers are watching their profits vanish along with their crops.