US fruit growers are reeling after a late frost decimated crops across the south and midwest over the Easter weekend.

“Everything is dead,” grower Otto Thierbach was quoted in reports as saying, as he surveyed his 46-acre peach, apple, blackberry and blueberry farm in Marthasville, Montana. The snap is said to be the worst in over 50 years.

“With so many peaches and apples potentially destroyed, consumers should expect to see less local produce at farmers’ markets this summer,” added Brian Long, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture.

Some states are reporting crop losses of between 30 and 80 percent. Other states hit by the freeze include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.

Farmers in Michigan, which had nearly a week of snow, say tart cherries are all but wiped out.

The freeze was particularly devastating because it followed three weeks of warmer-than-usual March weather that inspired fruit trees and berry plants to bud early.

Growers have reported a 100 percent loss in Blount County, Alabama. "Alabama took an awful blow," grower James Witt told the Birmingham Times. "People are going to pay the highest in years for their fruits and vegetables."

Some growers are now calling for emergency relief measures.

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