New Bill Aims To Help Florida Growers Hit by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole

Posted by Paul Rusnak|February 3, 2023

Florida Senator Rick Scott has introduced the Block Grant Assistance Act, a critical bill to ensure USDA can provide needed relief to agriculture producers devastated by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Senator Marco Rubio cosponsored the legislation and Representatives Scott Franklin and Debbie Wasserman Schultz co-led the legislation in the House of Representatives.

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Major Hurricane Ian, with sustained winds of up to 155 mph, closed in on and made landfall in Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. The storm impacted the peninsula from coast to coast.
Image courtesy of NOAA
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Florida's citrus belt was in the direct path of Hurricane Ian. First looks showed copious fruit drop in some groves.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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Significant fruit drop being seen in groves around Southwest Florida harken back to five years ago after major Hurricane Irma moved through.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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For fruit that didn't fall, it's only a matter of time given the twisting and turning action doled out by Hurricane Ian's winds.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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Uprooted orange trees and irrigation lines are being seen in some Southwest Florida citrus groves in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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Several weeks after Hurricane Ian, signs of the storm and its strain on Florida citrus crops remain.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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Overall citrus grove damage from Hurricane Ian was extensive throughout Southwest Florida.

Photo courtesy of UF/IFAS
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Not only crops were impacted by Hurricane Ian on Florida farms. This ag worker housing unit in Charlotte County, FL, was left pummeled by the storm.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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Structural and equipment damages will be among the many issues for Florida growers digging out from Hurricane Ian.
Photo by Gene McAvoy via Twitter
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Portions of Central Florida received in excess of 20 inches of rainfall, thanks to the storm. Some parts of region remain flooded weeks after the storm.

Photo courtesy of St. Johns River Water Management District

Industry organizations supporting the legislation include Florida Citrus Mutual and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.

More than 90% of all Florida citrus production was impacted by these storms, totaling 375,302 acres. Early damage estimates conducted by UF/IFAS economists and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services pegged losses to the ag industry at nearly $2 billion.

Impacts are still being felt as 2022-2023 citrus crop estimates from USDA are predicting historically low production.

“Thanks to Representative Franklin and Senator Scott for fighting for Florida’s citrus growers,” says Matt Joyner, Executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “Just as the industry was on the verge of a comeback, Hurricanes Ian and Nicole dealt us another blow. The Block Grant Assistance Act will enable Florida’s citrus growers to rebuild and replant so we can continue to harvest and produce America’s favorite breakfast juice.”

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Mike Joyner, President of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, echoed the sentiments. “The statewide toll of Hurricanes Ian and Nicole on the Florida agricultural industry was devastating. The supplemental disaster relief funding in the omnibus bill secured critically needed support for the industry’s recovery efforts. However, it failed to recognize the full impact and reach those who needed it most. The introduction of this bill will provide flexibility to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to better address grower needs. We are grateful to Congressman Franklin and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, who heard the industry’s concerns and are championing this needed change.”

Click here to access the full text of the Block Grant Assistance Act.

Paul Rusnak is the Senior Online Editor of American Vegetable Grower, American Fruit Grower, and Greenhouse Grower magazines, all Meister Media Worldwide brands. He is based in Northeast Florida. See all author stories here.