Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Florida Government & Politics

Florida’s Agriculture Department Moving Quicker Than FEMA On Hurricane Relief

With complaints that FEMA isn’t moving quickly enough to aid Floridians affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson just announced the first round of approved loans for hurricane victims.

Through the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program, Commissioner Simpson said that within the first eight days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, his office helped agriculture and aquaculture producers restore, repair, or replace essential physical property—including fences, equipment, greenhouses, and other buildings—or remove vegetative debris.

“Swift and meaningful action is crucial in aiding our farmers, ranchers, and growers in their recovery from Hurricane Helene, especially in a region that is still recovering from Idalia and Debby,” Simpson said. “We are very proud to have been able to get our first loan fully approved through the department’s Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program just eight days after the storm made landfall. We know our farmers are hurting and we are doing all we can on the state level to make up for serious federal negligence.”

Impacted producers are encouraged to take photos of any property damage sustained from Hurricane Helene and to save all receipts for recovery efforts and supplies. Specific details on the application process are available on the program’s webpage. Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program

Interest-free loans up to $500,000 for eligible agriculture and aquaculture producers that have experienced damage or destruction from Hurricane Helene.

Loans may be used to restore, repair, or replace essential physical property, including fences, equipment, greenhouses, and other buildings, or to remove vegetative debris.

During a special legislative session in November of 2023, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 1-C, which provided $75 million to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for a revolving loan fund to support impacted agriculture and aquaculture producers to recover from natural disasters.

Author

Archives

Related Stories

Political News

Florida Congressman Greg Steube took to the US House floor to condemn recent practices by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that included a...

Political News

Following a recent report of FEMA bias against Trump supporters, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is taking legal action against current and former FEMA...

Political News

Conservatives across Florida and the nation are outraged over a recent report that a FEMA supervisor told co-workers not to assist homes ravaged by...

Election News

Over the last year, Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has been sounding the alarm on the current Biden administrations regulations from EPA and other...

Political News

Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought high winds, flooding, and damage across Florida. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates the total crop...

Political News

With Florida’s agricultural industry rebuilding after two hurricanes, Florida US Senator Rick Scott (R) wants quicker action from the President Joe Biden, the Office...

Florida News

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which oversees the Florida Highway Patrol , released a statement regarding the arrest of a...

Florida News

Aetna Better Health of Florida spent the days following Hurricane Milton delivering supplies to Orlando and Tampa areas affected by the storm. These relief...