TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Funding assistance opened Tuesday for agricultural producers impacted last month by a Florida freeze.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Division of Emergency Management announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved their disaster declaration request due to freezing temperatures that occurred from Jan. 23-31.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: 2 Central Floridians win $1M each on scratch-off game | Hearing loud booms? Navy dropping bombs as training continues in Ocala | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
DeSantis previously issued Executive Order 22-27, a state emergency for 30 counties when the cold fronts slammed Florida farms. The counties are now being included in the USDA disaster declaration.
“With the approval of our request for a disaster declaration, farmers in Florida have resources available to them as they continue their recovery efforts from recent freezing temperatures,” DeSantis said in a news release. “I remain committed to supporting our state’s agriculture industry and hardworking farmers.”
A USDA disaster declaration allows eligible farmers to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency, which includes emergency loans.
Farmers in permitted counties can apply for emergency loans until eight months after the USDA disaster declaration.
For more information on the USDA disaster declaration process, click click here.
The 17 primary counties eligible for USDA assistance are:
- Broward
- Collier
- DeSoto
- Glades
- Hardee
- Hendry
- Highlands
- Hillsborough
- Indian River
- Manatee
- Martin
- Okeechobee
- Osceola
- Palm Beach
- Polk
- St. Lucie
- Sarasota
The 10 secondary counties eligible for USDA assistance are:
- Brevard
- Charlotte
- Lake
- Lee
- Miami-Dade
- Monroe
- Orange
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Sumter