Florida agriculture losses from Hurricane Ian could total $1.56B
A preliminary University of Florida report said citrus, vegetables and melons may see largest losses
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Hurricane Ian caused up to $1.56 billion in estimated losses to the Florida agriculture industry, according to a preliminary report from the University of Florida.
The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences' assessment estimated industry production losses at between $787 million and $1.56 billion.
The largest losses would be reported for citrus, vegetables and melons and horticultural crops.
The report's economists also looked at impacts on non-citrus fruit and tree nuts, filed and row crops, and animals and animal products, although noting that there is still uncertainty surrounding percentage production losses in the hardest hit areas.
FLORIDA ORANGE PRODUCTION DOWN 32% FROM LAST SEASON, USDA SAYS
Oranges rot on the ground Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, at Roy Petteway's Citrus and Cattle Farm after they were knocked off the trees from the effects of Hurricane Ian in Zolfo Springs, Fla. ((AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) / AP Newsroom)
Production loss values do not include repair or replacement values associated with downed trees or damages to infrastructure.
About 5 million acres of agricultural land were reportedly affected by the Category 4 hurricane, nearly 60% of which was grazing land.
The report's authors said an additional 500,000 acres were affected by less intense hurricane conditions.
This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee / AP Newsroom)
"The impact on Florida’s affected commodities cannot be understated, especially the heartbreaking damage to Florida citrus, an industry already facing significant challenges," Nikki Fried, Florida's agriculture commissioner, said in a statement. "This assessment, along with our own internal evaluation, is the first step in the rebuilding process and my department will continue to work with state and federal partners to support our producers throughout the recovery process."
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Some commodities were already looking at lower expected production due to a hard freeze event in January that affected much of the same acreage.
Last week, the U.S Department of Agriculture said orange production is down in Florida by 32% from last season – the scantiest predicted harvest in nearly 80 years.
Fallen oranges and damaged trees following Hurricane Ian at a grove in Charlotte county, Florida, US, on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
In order to reach these conclusions, the University of Florida program utilized data from previous post-storm assessments, the National Hurricane Center, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service and FEMA.
The team used a five-year average for the value per acre of each commodity group to estimate the total "at-risk" production value across affected areas.
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The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is expected to issue storm-related findings later this week.