A Hurricane-Sized Swing at Strawberries
We heard in our last program from American Farm Bureau economist Danny Munch telling the tale of Florida vegetable production losses in response to Hurricane Milton, you can listen back at AgInfo.net, but what about other crops?Munch says a combination of data allows us to assess potential damage based on production value in the region…
“Florida is also the second-largest producer of strawberries in the U.S., producing over $430 million in strawberries each year, and 99 percent of the acreage was in the counties within Hurricane Milton's path. You also had wind damage on barns and infrastructure, cutting power to dairies and aquaculture facilities in the area, and damaged fencing and livestock containment areas.”
The road to recovery will be long for Florida’s agricultural community, but Munch says there is help available…
“So, when we're talking about crop insurance providers, approved insurance providers, they've been authorized to accept delayed notices of losses due to Hurricane Milton. FSA has provided some flexibilities. You also have some permanent disaster programs in the farm bill that will continue to help, such as the Tree Assistance Program, which provides vital financial support to cover the cost of replanting or rehabilitating orchards when those trees are damaged or destroyed. Then, the Livestock Indemnity Program, which compensates livestock losses exceeding normal mortality due to extreme weather. So, those are just a few of the programs farmers can use.”
Again, Danny Munch with the Farm Bureau.