Prices may go up for Florida blueberries this season, thanks to Hurricane Irma and some late cold weather.

• Hudson farmer said he lost 2,000 blueberry plants
• March's cold weather largely to blame
• Other factors include Hurricane Irma winds, pollination
  

Blueberry farmers all over the state are dealing with some good and bad news.

The good news is that many plants look healthy and ready to be picked soon. But if you take a look at some other fields, they do not have any blueberries at all.

Jason Nadler, who lost 2,000 blueberry plants at his farm in Hudson, said frost was a major problem.

"Figure we lost a whole field. The value of the fruit in the field is probably somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000," Nadler said. "It wasn't just a little hit, it was a big one."

He and blueberry farmers from around the state are about to open for the season, and some are hoping just to break even.

"We're going to raise the price a little bit and ask for the understanding of our customers," Nadler said.

He blames the cold weather in March for the majority of his losses.

"Once the fruit is on the bushes, the cold weather is dangerous," he said.

Around the state, cold weather was not the only issue. The Florida Blueberry Growers Association reports nearly every grower in the state has some sort of damage, whether it is from bugs or pollination or Hurricane Irma, whose winds bent some plants the wrong way.

"We're not even seeing the damage until now," Nadler said. "Now that the bushes are starting to get fruit in them, they're starting to fall over."

The association is still hopeful for a decent year and that lessons learned will help for next year.