Lawmakers who went ‘above and beyond’ to support and promote legislation that fosters a growing Florida agriculture industry.

The Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association counts among its friends our agricultural colleagues with the Florida Farm Bureau. State legislative priorities for the Florida Farm Bureau— on issues that best serve the interests of the Florida agriculture industry— often dovetail well with the FFAA’s own legislative priorities.

The Florida Farm Bureau pinpointed several issues for advocacy before the Florida Legislature convened its 2018 session on Jan. 9.  Chief among them was securing as much aid as possible for farming interests that were dealt a devastating blow by Hurricane Irma, which roared up the Florida peninsula on September 11, 2017. The storm caused at least $2.5 billion in economic damages to agriculture and, the bureau observed, shifted the focus of the entire state to storm recovery. When the Legislature adjourned on March 11, the bureau had important bill-passage victories to report and several lawmakers to recognize for their support of the Florida agriculture industry.

About Champions for Agriculture

On April 13, the Florida Farm Bureau honored 23 Champions for Agriculture— lawmakers the bureau said “go above and beyond” to support and promote legislation that positively impacts agriculture. The bureau named six senators and 17 representatives as 2018 Champions for Agriculture.

“Each of these Champions for Agriculture played critical roles in promoting or passing legislation that provides crucial tax relief for producers impacted by Hurricane Irma, reduces regulations or secures important funding for 4-H, UF/IFAS, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,” said John L. Hoblick, president of the bureau. “We are grateful for their efforts that allow farm families to continue to produce food and fiber, benefit our state’s economy, and conserve natural resources.”

In the next installment of this blog, we’ll delve more into the who and why of the named Champions for Agriculture, and how recent legislation passed is helping foster a growing Florida agriculture industry.  Follow along with us on our FFAA blog, as well as our Facebook and Twitter profiles to receive regular updates and science-based facts about the Florida fertilizer industry.