Jacob Ogles
A budget proposed by the Senate puts dollars behind Senate President Ben Albritton’s promise of a “Rural Renaissance.”
A $117 billion budget released in the upper chamber includes $10.4 billion in the Agriculture, Environment and General Government silo.
“We are continuing to build out a resilient transportation, housing, health care, public safety, and clean water infrastructure that can accommodate significant population growth over the next decade. That includes targeted investments in our agriculture supply chain,” Albritton said.
“As Floridians, love for the environment is in our DNA. This budget continues longstanding efforts to preserve our environment and natural resources for future generations of Floridians and visitors.”
The budget slots $3.5 billion for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Community Services.
That funding includes $250 million for a Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and $75 million for the Agriculture and Aquaculture Natural Disaster Loan Program, which has been used heavily as recent hurricanes delivered strong blows to Florida agriculture.
The budget also sets aside $37.7 million for the Department of Citrus, funding dedicated to a sector of agriculture of special importance to Albritton. The Department would receive $7.5 million for marketing and $2 million for a citrus recovery program as part of that funding.
“We are also dedicating significant funds to preserving and expanding our iconic citrus industry, which is key to Florida’s overall economy as citrus production, harvesting, packing and shipping creates steady, good-paying jobs in rural, heritage communities across Florida’s Heartland,” said Jason Brodeur, the Sanford Republican chairing the Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.
That’s on top of some $209 million budgeted through the Agriculture Department for citrus protection and research. That includes $193 million for citrus research and field trials, $10 million to pay for citrus packing equipment and $6 million for a citrus health response program.
Other major agriculture funding in the silo includes $69 million for state feeding programs, which source from Florida producers.
The proposed budget contains another $23.2 million for agriculture education and promotion facilities.
The budget also sets aside $119 million for building a new headquarters for the Agriculture Department, the 250,000-square-foot Conner Complex in Tallahassee.
Some $13.7 million in general revenue would go to the Florida State Fair, and $7 million would go to state farmers markets.
The budget also contains $535.3 million for the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. That includes $22 million for land management, $8 million for nuisance wildlife control and $2.6 million for an artificial coral reef program.
