Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

01/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/30/2026 16:14

NOTE TO PRESS

TO: Members of the Press
RE: Ahead of Winter Storm, Commissioner Wilton Simpson Requests Swift Access to USDA Assistance for Impacted Producers

With a winter storm forecast to impact Florida this weekend, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins requesting swift access to federal assistance and programs for Florida's agricultural producers who may be impacted.

Please see the letter below and attached.

The Honorable Brooke L. Rollins
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Rollins,

On behalf of Florida's farmers and agricultural producers, I respectfully request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issue a Disaster Declaration for counties impacted by the upcoming bomb cyclone winter storm expected this weekend.

We are confident that under your leadership, USDA will move promptly to make any and all assistance available under the Farm Service Agency and other USDA programs available to farmers to help them recover. Florida's producers are taking every possible step to protect their operations, but the severity of this storm will result in losses that require swift federal support.

Forecasts indicate sub-freezing temperatures reaching as far south as Collier and Broward counties, along with sustained winds of 20-30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph. These conditions threaten Florida's winter crops - including avocados, bell pepper, broccoli, celery, corn, cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, citrus, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, strawberries, squash, and tomatoes - as well as apiaries, nurseries, and aquaculture operations.

Florida is a critical supplier of fresh produce to the eastern United States during the winter months. Timely assistance will be essential to help our farmers recover and continue meeting that demand.

It is refreshing to work with an administration under the leadership of President Trump that genuinely supports agriculture and understands the urgency of standing with farmers in times of crisis. We are confident that USDA's response will be decisive and responsive.

Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to working with your team to ensure Florida's farmers have access to all available resources without delay.

Sincerely,

Wilton Simpson
Commissioner of Agriculture

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Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services published this content on January 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 30, 2026 at 22:15 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]