Lifestyle | Florida Harsh Winter Makes Tomatoes Scarce, Pricey 70% of Florida's crop is destroyed By Nick McMaster Posted Mar 3, 2010 2:16 PM CST Copied This photo taken Sept. 24, 2009, shows tomatoes, and a few beans, from the University of Delaware's Garden for the Community. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark) The unusually cold winter is leaving a lasting effect on Florida: a severe tomato shortage that has forced restaurants and supermarkets to ration supplies. The year's crop of tomatoes have been diminished by 70%, pushing the price of a 25-pound box to $30—a huge increase over the usual $6.45. Relief for consumers may not come until April, when the new crop arrives. Restaurants are warning customers that they may have to do without, and even if they do get it, "the quality just isn't what they are used to," the president of a Florida restaurant tells the Wall Street Journal. At Wendy's and some other fast-food restaurants, tomatoes aren't automatically included in sandwiches. Patrons have to ask. Read These Next A Virginia politician was set on fire at his office. One wrong step costs teen at Yellowstone. This Fed decision was unlike any other in decades. An arrest has been made in the Devil's Den murders. Report an error