Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) is urging farmers to apply for assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program for any losses they may have experienced in 2018 and 2019.
In a statement, Commissioner Fried explained that “for generations, Florida’s farmers have worked to feed our communities, country, and the entire world, and their success has come despite challenges like hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires.”
Moreover, “despite being adaptive in the face of adversity, as these disasters seem to occur more frequently and with greater strength, our state’s agricultural producers need help to remain competitive – and this support from the USDA is crucial.”
Finally, Commissioner Friend asserted that “all of Florida’s farmers who are eligible to contact their country Farm Service Agency office today” should “start the application process immediately.”
The program specifically aims to compensate agricultural producers for losses that were taken due to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, droughts, excessive moisture, wildfires that took place during the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. So far, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency has received over 133,000 applications for disaster assistance, and it has so far paid out $1.4. billion in benefits.
