Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson issued a statement on Feb. 20 commending the United States Department of Agriculture for issuing a disaster declaration to support Florida agricultural producers affected by recent historic freezes.
Simpson said, “I appreciate President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for always putting America’s farmers first, and for quickly issuing this official disaster declaration. Beyond the desperately needed federal support and financing that this declaration will now make available, it is also an acknowledgement of the incredible hardship and loss that Florida’s growers experienced from the historic freezes. This was one of the most damaging freeze events in Florida agriculture’s history, with our preliminary estimates totaling over $3 billion in agricultural losses. Florida agriculture now needs equally historic support. A strong and vibrant domestic food supply is critical to our national security and sovereignty, and Florida’s farmers feed America, especially during the winter. I look forward to working with the USDA to connect our impacted producers with these newly released recovery resources, and any additional federal support that becomes available in the future. I am also grateful to all the FDACS staff, agricultural producers, and UF/IFAS for their hard work to get the loss data to the USDA in record time. We are proud to be partners in the effort to get relief to our farmers as quickly as possible.”
Ahead of the forecasted winter storm on January 30, Simpson sent a letter requesting swift access to federal assistance for affected producers. On February 10, members of Florida’s congressional delegation sent a letter supporting Simpson’s request for a USDA Disaster Declaration due to freeze impacts.
On February 20, Simpson announced preliminary estimates from his department showing more than $3 billion in total estimated losses across various agricultural sectors statewide.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services functions as a state government agency linked to the Florida Cabinet, according to the official website. The department works to advance Florida agriculture, safeguard the environment and consumers, maintain food safety standards, secures funding through state budgets including programs like Rural and Family Lands Protection Program which has received over $700 million since 2022; promotes agritourism through initiatives such as Farm To You; operates facilities like Withlacoochee Training Center; and administers honors such as Agricultural Hall of Fame awards—all according to information found on its official website.
More details about Commissioner Simpson’s response can be found on the official roster page at the organization’s website.
