Tag Archives: Department of Agriculture

Hurricane Ian’s estimated impact on Florida agriculture industry tops $1 billion

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services released the preliminary damage assessment for agriculture, following Hurricane Ian. According to Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, the loss is estimated between $1,180,714,303 and $1,888,305,886.  Those losses don’t just include damage to crops, but also losses to agriculture production and infrastructure. According …

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Preparing livestock amid Hurricane Ian

Livestock owners preparing for Hurricane Ian have three major concerns: identification, sheltering and power. Livestock can be identified by using ear tags or by spraying numbers onto the cattle using a can of nontoxic spray. Because most barns are not built to withstand hurricane winds, many area farms will leave their cows to weather the storm in open fields. Another concern is keeping power on so well water can be pumped for the livestock to drink.

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Alachua County considers plan to partner with Newberry to establish new meat processing center

Alachua County is considering plans to partner with the City of Newberry to construct a new meat processing facility that will serve the entire county and potentially beyond.  Alachua County officials want to reorganize the county's food supply lines to be more locally based and independent by constructing the meat processing center in Newberry. Plans for the new facility originate from concerns about the nationwide supply chain issues that have occurred since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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