New budget cuts millions to Florida's citrus marketing & water projects
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam released the following statement about Fresh From Florida funding after the House meeting, “This is a political assault on a good program that will have real consequences on real people. Gutting the Fresh From Florida program will hurt Florida’s small farms the most — their ability to raise awareness for the high quality of their locally grown products and compete against lesser quality products from foreign countries.” The department requested $12,860,000 to be allocated to the Fresh From Florida program. The House proposal only allocated $2,060,000 in its proposal.
Other budget cuts included a $20 million reduction for springs restoration, a $10.1 million reduction for citrus marketing and a $42 million reduction in water projects. However, possibly the most disappointing cuts to the agriculture industry were to the Florida Forever program and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP). In both proposals, Florida Forever will suffer a substantial loss in funds, while RFLPP will lose all of its funding.
source: citrusindustry.net
