Donald Trump delivers for Florida’s growers

Florida agriculture is one of the state’s economic cornerstones, but years of disease, unfavorable trade policies and extreme weather have taken a heavy toll.

Citrus production collapsed from roughly 300 million boxes annually in the early 2000s to just 20 million in 2024, while Florida has lost thousands of farms and tens of thousands of acres of farmland. Even so, agriculture still generates more than $106 billion annually and supports nearly 1.3 million jobs.

The Donald Trump administration has taken several meaningful steps to strengthen the industry’s outlook.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced an FDA policy lowering the minimum natural sugar content required for juice to qualify as “orange juice” from 10.5% to 10%. While the change appears modest, it is expected to significantly increase usable citrus production and improve grower revenues.

“This rule delivers a decisive victory for American farmers. It protects our domestic supply chains and advances President Trump’s America First agenda,” Kennedy said.

Farmers also secured a victory through a settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and John Deere that gives growers and independent repair shops access to the same diagnostic tools, repair manuals and software available to authorized dealers.

For Florida growers, the change means broken equipment can often be repaired locally or on the farm instead of waiting for dealer technicians during critical harvest periods, reducing downtime and lowering repair costs.

Trade policy has also returned to the forefront.

Florida agricultural leaders have long argued that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement failed to adequately protect the state’s produce industry from low-cost imports. In March, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody and 13 members of Florida’s congressional delegation urged the Trump administration to strengthen protections during the agreement’s scheduled review, warning of growing imports of Mexican fruits and vegetables.

Rather than simply extending the agreement, the administration declined to renew it on July 1, triggering the 10-year sunset process and creating an opportunity to renegotiate terms that supporters believe will better protect Florida agriculture while strengthening America’s food supply chain.

No policy change can reverse citrus greening or erase years of losses overnight. But changes to trade policy, right-to-repair rules and FDA regulations represent tangible efforts to reduce costs, improve competitiveness and give Florida farmers a stronger chance to succeed.

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Ryan Gill is a sixth-generation Floridian cattle rancher from Fort Lonesome. Alongside his wife, Kaylie, and their four children, he helps lead the family’s agricultural businesses. He was named the 2022 Farm Credit Agriculturalist of the Year.