Florida’s agriculture industry could take a $1.56 billion hit after Hurricane Ian

Agriculture losses in Florida from Hurricane Ian’s excessive winds and drenching rains could attain $1.56 billion, with citrus, cattle, vegetable and melon operations among the many hardest hit, the University of Florida reported Tuesday in a preliminary estimate.

The college’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences mentioned there could be many impacts which might be but to emerge from flooded acreage and rely partially on whether or not some broken crops might be replanted to salvage a number of the winter vegetable rising season.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty,” mentioned Christa Court, an economist and director of financial evaluation for the institute. “The effects can be very different in a single location.”

The estimated losses this yr are for a excessive situation of $1.56 billion and a low potential lack of about $787 million. That’s in an space of Florida the place complete agricultural production is valued at greater than $8 billion on an annual foundation, in response to the report.

“It’s not completely devastating to the entire agriculture industry in the state,” Court mentioned throughout a web-based news convention. “Some of the seasons were just getting started.”

Hurricane Ian swept ashore Sept. 28 in southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 155 mph (250 kph), then bisected the middle of the state, the place most agricultural manufacturing is situated. About 5 million acres of farmland have been affected by the storm, in response to the UF report.

Before the storm, citrus manufacturing in Florida was already forecast to drop by a third in contrast with the yr earlier than, partially due to winter freezes and ongoing illness issues. Now, a major supply of orange juice for a lot of the nation will take one other hit, with losses estimated at as a lot as $304.2 million.

And the harvest season for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and related fruit was simply starting.

“The impact on Florida’s affected commodities cannot be understated, especially the heartbreaking damage to Florida citrus, an industry already facing significant challenges,” state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried mentioned in a assertion.

The University of Florida loss estimates don’t take under consideration the influence on shopper costs, however the storm is prone to press costs upward and pressure orange juice producers to rely much more closely on California and imported oranges from Latin America.

The estimated loss for vegetable and melon crops in Florida ranges from $208 million to $393 million. For horticultural crops — flowers, panorama crops, decorative timber, sod grass — the loss could high $297 million. And for cattle and different animal manufacturing it is as a lot as $221 million.

The best unknown is the impact flooding and heavy rains from Hurricane Ian may have over the long run. The college report signifies greater than 20 inches (508 mm) of rain fell in locations the place the storm middle handed, with 12 inches (304 mm) widespread outdoors that zone. Several rivers in farm areas set new flood stage information.

Some citrus timber weakened by the storm could die. Cattle that survived a flood could die from illness or harm and could have issues acquiring sufficient high-quality meals in broken pastures.

The full harm image within the flood areas, the report famous, “cannot be determined until fields dry out.”

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