Crist requests freeze disaster declaration for Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Florida. (January 15, 2010)

Gov. Charlie Crist cited extensive losses for agriculture producers in all 67 Florida counties in seeking a disaster declaration for the entire state due to cold weather losses.

In a letter to Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, Crist said that 13 days with hours of below-freezing temperatures resulted in “a tremendous amount of damage” to all sectors of agriculture, including tropical fish and crops such as citrus, sweet corn, tomatoes, mangoes and strawberries.

Widespread cold-related damage has been reported in Polk County, the state’s top citrus producer, and in vegetable fields in Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

A disaster declaration for the state would give growers access to federal money to help recover from losses.

Damage assessments are under way, “but already I am receiving troubling reports of some areas being completely wiped out,” said Charles H. Bronson, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture, in a letter to Crist