PLANT CITY, Fla. — Florida strawberry farmers are bemoaning this year’s larger-than-expected harvest — which means turning a profit will be difficult.

A warm winter in the Sunshine State has yielded a bumper crop of berries.

“We complained when it was too cold, and now we’re complaining this year that it’s too hot,” said Ted Campbell of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. “It’s a very challenging year.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a pound of strawberries on March 2 was selling at major grocery stores for an average of $2.15 — an eight-cent drop from the previous week and a 28-cent drop from last year at the same time.

Florida is the nation’s biggest strawberry producer in January and February, while California is the largest in the spring.

In recent years, Florida farmers have grappled with extreme cold and lost crops.

But there’s more to the woes than weather. “Because of the influx of Mexican berries, our prices have not gone up,” said Peggy Parke of Parkesdale Farms in Dover, Fla. “Mexico just keeps pulling them over for low cost. I feel like the Mexican market has had a big effect on us this year as far as pricing.”

Parke points out that in order for her farm to sell to large stores like Wal-Mart, it must go through inspections and meet regulations that Mexican farms may or may not be doing.