Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried released the FDACS preliminary damage assessment for agriculture following Hurricane Ian. The assessment considered losses to agriculture production and infrastructure and are estimated between $1.18 billion and $1.88 billion.
“While today’s assessment is a preliminary snapshot of the losses to Florida agriculture, it is a critical first step in the process of securing federal disaster aid for our hard-working producers,” said Commissioner Fried. “We will continue our close collaboration on the ground with industry partners to gain further insight into the depth and breadth of Ian’s damage. As we move ahead on the road to recovery, I look forward to working with Florida’s congressional delegation and our U.S. senators on a relief package to help restore Florida’s second largest industry.
You can find a complete copy of the FDACS damage assessment here.
Background: Building on the UF/IFAS assessment released last week, which considered crop and animal product losses, FDACS is considering citrus tree replacement, animal infrastructure damages, and forestry for a potential loss of up to $1.8 billion for Florida producers.