As Florida is in the grips of cold blast that plunged temperatures into the 20s in large swaths of the state, appeals for federal relief for affected farmers are already underway.
Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson sent a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking a Disaster Declaration for Florida counties impacted by the so-called “bomb cyclone” winter storm. The system slammed areas of the country from the Midwest to the MidAtlantic Region and deep into the South.
“Florida’s producers are taking every possible step to protect their operations, but the severity of this storm will result in losses that require swift federal action,” Simpson said in his letter to Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Snow was recorded in several North Florida counties Saturday night heading into Sunday. Temperatures plummeted to 23 degrees at the National Weather Service (NWS) station at Jacksonville International Airport. The Tallahassee station recorded a 22-degree reading.
NWS forecasters project “widespread frost” heading well into Monday and Florida temperatures are expected to fall into the 30s again on Tuesday night. Sub-freezing temperatures could stretch as far south into areas such as Collier County on the Gulf Coast and Broward County on the Atlantic Coast.
Simpson said in his letter that Florida farmers and agricultural producers are bracing for damage from the frigid system.
“Florida is a critical supplier of fresh produce to the eastern United States during the winter months. Timely assistance will be essential to help our farmers recover and continue meeting that demand,” Simpson said.
Some of the winter crops produced in Florida include avocados, bell pepper, broccoli, celery, corn, cucumbers, radishes, strawberries, cabbage and citrus among others.
