TALLAHASSEE – Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 34 counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to frosts and freezes during this winter season and drought over the last six months. The USDA has designated an additional 28 counties in Florida as contiguous natural disaster areas.
“Florida’s growers have faced difficult challenges this season, leading to significant crop loss and damage,” said Commissioner Putnam. “The natural disaster area designation from the USDA will enable Florida’s growers to apply for and obtain the assistance they need to recover and refocus their efforts on providing fresh fruits and vegetables to dining tables across the country.”
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As a result of this designation, farm operators in both primary counties and contiguous counties are eligible to be considered for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), including emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program.
Farmers in these designated counties have eight months from today to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA considers the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability with each application. SURE Program applications for 2010 crop losses will be accepted in 2011, when the 2010 farm revenue data required by statute becomes available.
Counties designated as primary natural disaster areas due to frosts and freezes during the period between November 5 and December 17, 2010, include Alachua, Bradford, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, De Soto, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dad, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, St. Johns and St. Lucie. Contiguous counties include Baker, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Columbia, Duval, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Lake, Marion, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Volusia.
Counties designated as primary natural disaster areas due to drought that occurred from June 1, 2010, to present include Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Madison, Martin, St. Lucie, Wakulla and Washington. Contiguous counties include Alachua, Brevard, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gulf, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Suwannee, Taylor and Walton.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services encourages farmers to contact local FSA offices for additional information.
For more information about the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit http://www.freshfromflorida.com/ or follow Commissioner Putnam on Facebook, www.facebook.com/adamputnam, and Twitter, @adamputnam.