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Citrus Industry to get a Boost in Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts from a $340 Million Grant
Orange growers will be reimbursed for damaged fields, lost profits, and crop insurance premiums. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Florida Division of Emergency Management has been awarded more than 340 million dollars to help farmers in the state rebuild after Hurricane Irma. The money will be allocated in three grant cycles. The first will see more than 129 million dollars used to replant trees and repair irrigation ditches.
“We’re looking at it as an investment in the industry and you know help us get on the road to recovery. It’s been a tough decade for us with a disease known as citrus greening. And then Irma topped it off for us last year when we thought we were rebounding a little.”
The Florida Department of Agriculture says Florida oranges accounts for nearly 60 percent of all those consumed in the United States. Annual sales can reach 1 billion dollars in some cases.
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