Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will ask state lawmakers for $75 million next year to fund a depleted program that helps shield agricultural land from development. Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he will propose spending $21 million to help struggling citrus growers reeling after Hurricane Irma. “They have one crop a year. With all the wind and the rain, it …
Green Industry Contributes More Than $20B to Florida Economy
Up 19 Percent from 2000 Florida’s environmental horticulture industry is recovering from the recession of 2007 to 2009, and it is growing in many sectors, with $21.8 billion in annual economic contributions. This is an increase of 19.2 percent from 2000, a new University of Florida report shows. The environmental horticulture industry, or the “green industry,” includes landscaping, nurseries, greenhouses, …
Putnam’s Statement Regarding Current Federal Disaster Relief Legislation
The U.S. Senate last night voted to move forward the $36.5 billion disaster relief legislation without additional support for Florida agriculture. Florida’s agriculture industry suffered a more than $2.5 billion hit due to Hurricane Irma. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam’s statement is below: “I’m disappointed that the current disaster relief legislation does not include much-needed support for Florida’s …
Farmers May Get Loans to Help With Irma Damage
Florida farmers in 44 counties may be eligible for federal loans to help cover damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced. Still, Florida might have to wait months for broader federal assistance to the agriculture industry, which sustained more than $2.5 billion in losses from the storm. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue notified Gov. Rick …
Putnam Speaks to Florida Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam joined Governor Rick Scott to discuss the recent agricultural damage caused by Hurricane Irma and to request federal assistance. The following are excerpts from his remarks: “The Florida delegation has a long history of coming together in the aftermath of these types of disasters and bringing the full weight of the third largest …
Perdue Sees Hurricane Irma Damage to Florida Agriculture
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was in Florida to survey agricultural damage from Hurricane Irma. AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor took part in a press conference they held in Orlando and has this report. Image: Citrus trees in Hendry County destroyed by Hurricane Irma. Credit: Gene McAvoy/UF/IFAS Northwest Extension District. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Considers Efforts Important to Cattle Producers …
Putnam Says Agriculture Industry Hammered by Irma
Parts of Florida’s agriculture industry are in “tatters” as rural communities throughout the state continue to face severe conditions after Hurricane Irma, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Thursday. Putnam said the storm hammered citrus, vegetable and sugarcane growers, though he didn’t put a cost estimate on the damage. And as many farmers and residents of Florida’s rural counties wait for …
Florida Farmers Brace for Irma
Hurricane Irma is threatening havoc in Floria farmlands. Bloomberg says the hurricane is threatening a negative impact on $1.2 billion dollars worth of production in America’s number one grower of tomatoes, oranges, green beans, cucumbers, squash, and sugarcane. Florida has a huge influence on the American food supply as the number two producer grower, second only to California. Almost 10 …
Agriculture Continues to Prepare for Hurricane Irma
As Hurricane Irma moves towards South Florida, preparations for its arrival continue for many in the agriculture industry in the state. Livestock evacuations have been taking place throughout the week, as temporary shelters in both Alabama and Georgia have opened. Both states have also temporarily suspended Animal Interstate Movement Health Requirements for animals being evacuated from the areas expected to …
11 Counties in Alabama Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
With Assistance to Producers in the Surrounding States In response to a request from Jacqueline McCloud, Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Acting State Executive Director in Alabama, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 11 counties in Alabama as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rainfall and flash flooding that occurred from May 1, 2017, …