Central and mountainous regions of Mexico are experiencing freezing temperatures this week as a deep southward dip in the jet stream makes its way well south of the border, drawing colder air from the north. The states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, San Luis Potosi, and Guanajuato are seeing the coldest temperatures, with freezing conditions likely over the next few days, particularly in elevated areas. There is still some tomato production in these areas, and growers say it will affect the crop badly there. "For tomatoes, you only need two hours of below freezing temperatures to damage the crop and if it is over six hours, you lose it," explained Alberto Pedraza of El Dorado Growers. "This week, we are expecting freezing overnight temperatures from Tuesday through Thursday. It is very deep and very strong and will subsequently result in a 48 hour period of cold temperatures in San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato and Queretaro." He added that the lack of growers with greenhouses means the tomato season will be over for the year here, a little earlier than normal. "The season will end sooner for this region and growers will be picking whatever they can and whatever is left in the fields will be lost. 95 percent of growers do not have temperature controlled greenhouses there, rather only a shade cover. There will likely be a fair amount of losses for these growers." Gap expected between regions Pedraza also noted that freezes in November are not unusual in these areas, it's just that the freeze came a bit earlier than normal. Additionally, there is a slight gap between this eastern region and the start of the main production areas in the west of the country due to hurricane activity there. Suppliers say this will likely create a tight market over the next few weeks. "The market is going to be ugly for the next month or so," he surmised. "Sinaloa is late this year because the region was affected by weather and growers had to re-plant. That is why prices are higher and will remain high until we see more volume from the winter crop." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com