Tampa Republic

Congresswoman Laurel Lee and other members of the Florida delegation have called on the USDA to expedite disaster assistance for agricultural producers affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In a letter to Secretary Vilsack, they urged immediate action to support farmers and producers in Florida.

“Agriculture is such an important part of Florida's 15th District, and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, our farmers and producers need our support," stated Congresswoman Laurel Lee. "I am urging the USDA to quickly take action and deliver aid to our agriculture producers in Florida who were affected by these disasters so they can get back to feeding America."

Senator Marco Rubio emphasized the severe impact of the hurricanes on the state's agriculture: "The devastation from Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton has hit Florida’s farmers hard, and the impacts are rippling through our state. These back-to-back storms wiped out crops, destroyed infrastructure, and put countless livelihoods in jeopardy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must act swiftly to deliver the critical aid our agricultural producers need to rebuild and recover. Florida can’t do this alone, and our farmers deserve nothing less than our full support.”

Congressman Scott Franklin highlighted issues with federal disaster programs: "Back-to-back hurricanes have dealt a devastating blow to Florida's agricultural producers, many of whom are still recovering from the disastrous 2022 season. After four major storms in two years, our farmers and ranchers desperately need help now. One-size-fits-all federal disaster programs consistently fail our state's agricultural sector, creating onerous application processes and delaying critical aid."

The delegation recommended using block grants for faster aid distribution due to overwhelmed local Farm Service Agency offices. They also requested improvements in FSA operations, staffing enhancements, budgetary requests for adequate funding from Congress, crop insurance reforms for specialty crops recovery alongside disaster aid, and collaboration with USDA for effective support.

Hurricane Milton followed closely after Helene causing significant damage across Florida's key agricultural areas. Preliminary estimates by FDACS indicate crop losses between $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion.

The delegation argues that block grants could facilitate quicker relief delivery compared to new programs set up post-disaster by FSA.

Cosigners of this initiative include various representatives from both parties across different districts in Florida.