BAY NEWS 9 -- Tomato lovers, beware: it may be more difficult to buy the fruit in coming months.

Unlike some fruit farms, many tomato farmers were unable to ice their crops to protect them from cold last week.

The Florida Department of Agriculture said it is too early to determine exactly how much of the state's tomato crop was lost in the freeze, but the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange reports that it could be as high as 70 percent.

Frank Diehl, who owns Tomatoes of Ruskin, was one of the lucky one farmers. He was able to harvest before the freeze came through, but he knows other farmers who were not able to do so.

"It's not a 100 percent wipeout, but it's pretty heavily affected the tomato industry," Diehl said.

Taylor & Fulton Farms in Manatee County was one of those heavily affected by the freeze. The freeze wiped out all of the local crops, and the tomatoes that are going through its processing plant are being shipped from the company's other farms further south.

The farmers are not the only one feeling the pain from the freeze. Employees at the Taylor & Fulton plant are down to working two days a week instead of five.

Owner Brian Turner said the trickle-down effect is devastating.

"It's truckers that haul the produce all over the United States from Florida during the winter time, it's people working in the packing house, people working in the fields," he said.

The supply squeeze will also affect consumers, who Turner said may see higher prices for a while.

"Grocery stores will be handling less product, consumers will more than likely pay more for it because theres less, so I think its poor timing for a disaster like this, but we're still picking, so come and get them," he said.

This concern is supported by reports from agencies like the National Supermarkets Association, which reports that wholesale prices of tomatoes have risen nearly 40 percent in the last two weeks.

Despite all the challenges, Turner said Florida farmers are resilient, and he is confident they will bounce back.