9/14/2018

DEM Announces Receipt of $343 Million in Citrus Grant Funds, Workshops to Assist Farmers to Apply

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) today announced the successful receipt of $343,221,216.73 in federal Florida Citrus Tree Recovery Program funds to help Florida citrus farmers recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma. DEM also announced that four workshops will be held to assist farmers in applying for the funds. 

This outcome was accomplished through a partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) in which DEM manages the distribution of the block grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). DEM, FDACS and USDA worked together to produce the grant agreement.

DEM Director Wes Maul said, “We have made it our priority to get this money into the hands of the many citrus farmers who suffered following Hurricane Irma’s devastating impacts. They are critical to the recovery of Florida’s iconic industry and we will continue to work with our state and federal partners to make this happen as quickly as possible. Our total commitment is evidenced by the fact that we have significantly expedited this process, leading to program implementation more than four months faster than originally anticipated by federal authorities.”

FDACS Commissioner Adam Putnam said, “We’ve worked tirelessly with Florida’s agriculture industry, elected leaders and government agencies to help our citrus industry recover from Hurricane Irma’s unprecedented damage. Thanks to the hard work of so many, this much-needed piece of disaster assistance is finally on the way and will go a long way to help Florida's citrus industry rebuild.”

The goal of management of the process by DEM is for the funds to be distributed to farmers as quickly as possible.

DEM has scheduled four Citrus Block Grant Application Workshops to assist producers in understanding the application process. They will be held at the following times and locations:

Monday – September 24th, 9:00-12:00 - USDA Horticultural Lab - 2001 S Rock Rd, Fort Pierce, FL 34945

Thursday – September 27th, 9:00-12:00 - Citrus Research and Education Center - 700 Experiment Station Road Lake Alfred, FL 33850

Thursday – September 27th, 2:00-5:00 - Bert Harris Ag Center 4509 George Blvd. Sebring, FL 33875

Friday – September 28th, 9:00-12:00 - Dallas Townsend Center, FL 1085 Pratt Blvd. LaBelle, FL 33935

In order to assist eligible producers, the $340 million grant will be allocated for three purposes to aid in the recovery of farming operations:

Part 1: Tree Resets, Grove Rehabilitation, and Irrigation System Repair/Replacement (estimated $129 million) –

• Crop production loss of at least 20% due to Hurricane Irma;
• Up to $385.00/acre for tree reset, rehabilitate or replacement, irrigation and drainage system repair, etc.;
• Available Fall 2018.

Part 2: Future Economic Losses (estimated $182 million) –

• Crop production loss of at least 40% due to Hurricane Irma;
• Application with supporting documentation for Part 1 required;
• Up to $745.50/acre for expected citrus losses for crop years in 2019 and 2020; and,
• Up to 3 payments total:
  
  • Fall 2018 site inspection – up to $372.75/acre;
  • Proof of purchase for 2020 crop insurance – up to $186.38/acre; and,
  • Proof of purchase for 2021 crop insurance – up to $186.38/acre.

Part 3: Crop Insurance Purchase Requirements (subject to availability of funds and estimated $29 million) –

• Payment following crop insurance premiums for crop years 2022 and 2023;
• Up to 2 payments total:
  • Proof of purchase for 2022 crop insurance – TBD and,
  • Proof of purchase for 2023 crop year insurance – TBD.

For more inquiries concerning the Citrus Block Grant Application Workshops, contact FDEM Senior Management Analyst Joseph Oglesby at (850) 815-4450.

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