Florida keeps freeze-vulnerable crops trucking

Florida keeps freeze-vulnerable crops trucking    Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Friday that a state order relaxing trucking restrictions so farmers can transport freeze-vulnerable crops has been extended to Jan. 14.
   The order was set to expire on Jan. 7. The initial order was put in place Dec. 10 just ahead of freezing temperatures and has since been extended.
   Putnam said the extension would give farmers the necessary additional time to continue harvesting and transporting affected crops to processing and retail facilities before they deteriorate and without overloading processing facilities.
   Florida’s growers produce nearly all the nation’s domestically produced fresh fruits and vegetables during the winter.