Sen. Scott hears Florida farmers' plea for disaster relief funding

CLEWISTON, Fla. (WINK) — Florida's agriculture industry is still reeling from a devastating winter freeze, and farmers met with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott to push for federal relief and long-term recovery support on Thursday.

The roundtable discussion brought together agricultural leaders from across the state to detail the scope of the damage and outline what they need to survive. Scott listened to concerns ranging from immediate financial relief to labor shortages and trade pressures.

"Sometimes you feel because we are less than 2% of population, your voice has become finished," said Jeb Smith, president of the Florida Farm Bureau. "But it's nice to have a listening ear, especially from some of our biggest advocates and some of the biggest leaders in this nation."

Smith said the freeze, described as the worst since the 1980s, hit every corner of the state. More than 300 commodities were affected, from citrus groves to sugarcane fields to cattle ranches.

"This freeze impacted every corner of the state, over 300 commodities grown different times, different places," Smith said. "Devastating to economics, devastating to planning and moving into the future as well."

The full financial toll remains unclear, with losses estimated at around $3 billion. Farmers are still assessing what can be salvaged and what must be replanted, a process that could take years.

"That's hard to determine," Smith said. "They're still, even in some modes of distinguishing what needs to go and what they can get out and harvest even today."

Scott said he supports disaster relief through block grants to the state, which he believes would speed up the distribution of funds. He pointed to his experience as governor handling similar crises.

"We got to help them through block grants, through the State Department bag," Scott said. "That's the right, the best way of doing it, because they get the money out faster."

Scott said relief could arrive within two months if it moves through the reconciliation process. He acknowledged that rebuilding will take time, even with federal support.

"The way it works is it takes a few years, even when things are happening with the situation, to build it back up, because it's been devastated," Scott said. "I'm very optimistic, but we do have to help them as a result of this freeze."

The freeze lasted multiple days, causing deeper damage than a typical cold snap. Young citrus trees, some planted just a few years ago, are not expected to survive. Sugarcane growers are bracing for losses that will extend into next year's harvest.

"We put about 2.5 million trees in the ground over the last few years," one agriculture leader said. "A lot of those young trees will not make it."

Blueberries were also devastated, and cattle ranchers are facing skyrocketing feed costs after the freeze killed grass across pastures. The long-term impact on breeding and future herds is a growing concern.

"The long-term effects on these cows is going to be tough," one rancher said. "It's definitely going to affect us."

Beyond the freeze, farmers raised concerns about labor shortages, particularly with the H-2A visa program. The dairy industry cannot use the program because its work is not seasonal, leaving farms struggling to find workers for daily operations.

Scott said he is open to working on a standalone agriculture labor fix. He also addressed concerns about trade policies, including the upcoming USMCA review and foreign competition that continues to undercut U.S. farmers.

Farmers also pushed for improvements to crop insurance policies, arguing that current weather data used for payouts is not accurate enough. Temperature variations across farms can be significant, and they want a freeze or temperature-based policy that better reflects actual conditions.

"Any relief that we can get as a result of this freeze is going to go directly back into investing in rebuilding this industry and recovery," one leader said.

Scott emphasized that he needs direct input from farmers to act on their behalf. He urged them to be vocal about problems and delays so his office can address them.

"The big thing is, I can't solve problems I don't know about," Scott said. "So be as vocal you can. If something's not getting done, tell us, because we'll work on that."

The discussion also covered citrus greening solutions and global trade pressures, issues that continue to weigh on an industry already stretched thin by years of storms and disease.