Redland farms race against time ahead of Hurricane Milton
MIAMI - At Unity Grove Farm in the Redland, the avocados are ripe and ready but vulnerable to the elements. As Hurricane Milton approaches, Frank Vega, a farmer at Unity Grove, fears that the high winds could devastate their crop.
"You see the size of these avocados? So, it doesn't really take no 70 mile an hour wind. Just even a 30 mile per hour wind," said Frank Vega of Unity Grove.
Vega says if they don't pick the avocados now, they could be blown off their branches by the high winds expected from Hurricane Milton when it makes landfall up north. Once they hit the ground, they can't be sold.
"We can't pick them all," Vega said.
Vega tells CBS News Miami that the farm has only harvested about half of its supply this year, so they're doubling their efforts to get the rest somewhere safe. However, the avocados need to reach a certain size before they can be picked.
"We go by size. At least a pound per avocado for the consumer," Vega said.
He also noted that any lost product could lead to higher prices when sold to supermarkets.
"The more we have, the less for the consumer. But the less we have, the higher the price for the consumer," Vega explained.