Commissioner Simpson Praises State Budget

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

This week, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson applauded Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for the 2024-2025 state budget that makes investments in Florida agriculture, natural resources, and consumer protection.

Quite frankly, I don’t have the time on air to get all the way through the list of items Commissioner Simpson applauded in the budget, so a summary it is:

• $100 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. This program focuses on maintaining the agricultural land base in Florida through the acquisition of permanent rural land protection easements.

• $100 million each fiscal year to support the preservation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including the acquisition of rural land protection easements.

• $40 million to support Florida’s citrus industry through infrastructure, research, and expansion of propagation and replanting efforts.

• $32 million for land management within the Florida Forest Service.

• $15.6 million for equipment and operational increases for the Florida Forest Service, ensuring that our firefighters have the equipment needed to complete their jobs safely and efficiently.

Now I’m just scratching the surface here. For a list with more detail, head to https://tinyurl.com/yrt6updw.