There’s been so much excitement about citrus industry funding getting the green light in the state budget and the CRAFT application period opening that there was another development that flew a bit under the radar.
In late July, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins met with Florida ag leaders and announced that help was on its way to state ag producers to help them recover from 2023-2024 Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene, and Milton.
That help is coming in the form of a block grant agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which is receiving $675.9 million in funding to help specifically with:
- Infrastructure damage
- Market loss compensation
- Citrus-specific impacts (including projected economic loss)
- Timber damage
According to the USDA, the grant agreement will cover qualifying losses not addressed by other disaster programs.
However, it is worth noting that according to FDACS, the $675 million in federal funds represents a mere 35% of the state’s total agricultural losses resulting from the storms.
While the funding is part of a $30 billion disaster relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, Florida is the first of 14 states to finalize the agreement.
Just 10 days after Rollins’ visit, Florida Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced that FDACS had launched a centralized online information hub where growers and ranchers can find updates, eligibility details, and application guidelines.
FDACS is said to be creating a Work Plan to clarify the eligibility, documentation requirements, calculations, and application procedures.
Once that plan is submitted, the USDA must approve the plan and then the application process will be announced.
You can stay up to date on the latest at fdacs.gov/blockgrant.