Legislation to Support Florida Agriculture

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

In Florida, legislation has now been filed to “support and grow Florida agriculture.” Coming from Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, Senator Jay Collins, and Representative Danny Alvarez, the legislation which was filed just before the holiday touches on a number of topics of agricultural concern:

1 - Supporting Florida’s Future Farmers

The legislation provides school districts with the ability to approve 4-H and FFA related activities as excused absences.

2 - Supporting Florida’s Consumers

According to the trio, the legislation makes it unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell or deliver, hold, or offer for sale “cultivated meat” for human consumption.

3 - Protecting Agricultural Producers and Florida’s Food Supply

This involves providing criminal penalties for trespassing on commercial agricultural property with the intent to commit a crime.

From Representative Danny Alvarez, “Florida's agriculture industry is not only the backbone of our economy – contributing over $180 billion annually and helping to employ more than 2.5 million people – it is critical to our food security and the future prosperity of our state and nation.”