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Valley citrus growers inspecting groves for damage caused by freezing temperatures

By: Sarah Cervera

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Citrus growers across the Rio Grande Valley are assessing their groves after temperatures dropped to below freezing temperatures for several hours on Tuesday.

“You can see the color of the leaves, how they kind of turn black almost and they are drying up, which is typical freeze damage,” Edinburg Citrus Grow Care Manager Jose Silva said. “When I was out here this morning, I saw ice on the leaves and on the fruit."

Silva helps manage a 35-acre grove of Valencia oranges in Donna. Channel 5 News was with him as he spent his morning testing the internal temperatures of the oranges, hoping they didn't fall below 32 degrees.

“If it's below freezing then it's frozen inside and there is nothing we can do,” Silva said. “This morning the reading was 34, so there was some hope."

Silva said he also walked through the grove conducting visual tests to look for signs of frozen oranges such as discoloration.

 “When I cut the orange I could see the ice on the edge of the skin of the fruit, I could shave the ice off,” Silva said.

Texas Citrus Mutual President Dale Murden was inspecting his grapefruit grove in the city of Combes. He said more damage may be coming later this week because temperatures are rising too fast after being below freezing for hours.

“It's kinda like a human, you go into a shock if you are not careful,” Murden said. “You will see fruit drop when it hits the ground, it is useless for consumption."

Silva said he is saying a prayer and hoping for the best as he continues to monitor the groves. 

“I don't know for sure what is going to happen, but there is minimal damage,” Silva said.

Murden said grapefruit growers are about 50% done with harvesting, while oranges still have about 40% of the crop left to pick.

Watch the video above for the full story. 

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