Florida Agriculture Dept.: Statement by Commissioner Nikki Fried on USDA Secretary Perdue's Florida Visit

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Sept. 29 -- The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued the following statement on Sept. 28:

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Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited a North Florida cotton farm impacted by Hurricane Sally. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement on the visit:

"Florida's Panhandle has suffered greatly from natural disasters since 2018, especially our proud farmers and ranchers.

"Many of the same communities impacted by Hurricane Sally were also devastated by Hurricane Michael, for which help has been slow in coming. I'm glad that Secretary Perdue saw the damage first-hand.

"I hope he'll tell the President that these folks need help now, and to expand his disaster declaration to include individual assistance for all affected counties.

"They've already waited two years for Hurricane Michael aid, and as we wait for Governor DeSantis to ask for the USDA's help, it's not fair that North Floridians are made to wait any longer."

Background: Hurricane Sally made landfall along the Florida/Alabama border early Wednesday, September 16. The Category 2 storm unleashed close to thirty inches of rain across the Florida Panhandle, flooding hundreds of thousands of acres of farms and causing up to 100 percent crop losses. Commissioner Fried toured the impacted area, meeting with 50 North Florida farmers, as well as requested the Governor activate the state's emergency bridge loan program to assist agriculture producers facing losses. Fried also wrote to President Trump seeking an expanded Major Disaster Declaration to cover all counties, and to the Governor asking him to request a USDA Secretarial disaster declaration. Agricultural crops in Florida impacted by Hurricane Sally include 100,000 acres each of peanuts, cotton, and hay; 10,000 acres of corn; 4,000 acres of horse farms, and other important commodities including seafood, aquaculture, pecans, walnuts, and timber.