The Florida agricultural sector has been asked to share the adverse impacts of Hurricane Milton last week.
Producers can complete a survey, or they can also report information to their local University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension county offices by calling or visiting in person.
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on Oct. 9. UF/IFAS requests producers to complete the survey on agricultural losses and damages. The survey is part of ongoing UF/IFAS research tracking the effects of severe weather and other hazards on the state’s agricultural industry.
If a farming operation was also previously impacted by Hurricane Debby and/or Hurricane Helene, participants should adjust the relevant, commodity-specific information on acreage in production, number of animals on farms to reflect the operation’s characteristics after the previous storm and just before Milton.
Survey participation should take between 10 and 20 minutes, and answers are confidential. Responses will be used to improve estimations of the state’s collective agricultural losses from such events and inform decision-making related to disaster declaration, response and relief.
Producers are encouraged to continue reporting agricultural impacts from Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Helene. Access the confidential UF/IFAS EIAP surveys for those storms by visiting go.ufl.edu/DebbyAgImpacts and go.ufl.edu/HeleneAgImpacts.
For additional information, visit the UF/IFAS EIAP frequently asked questions webpage.