Florida’s agricultural community will soon have access to more state financial assistance for recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton’s devastating impact. Governor Ron DeSantis announced the expansion of the state’s Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program during a recent meeting at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

The program will offer interest-free loans up to $500,000 with flexible repayment terms. “We basically just want people to be made whole as quickly as possible,” DeSantis explained. “We’re not going to be worried about twisting arms to get the money back in the door.” Farmers, ranchers, and growers can apply through the program’s website.

The aid comes at a critical time. According to American Farm Bureau economist Daniel Munch, Hurricane Milton alone caused an estimated $1.5 billion in crop and livestock losses to Florida’s $8.8 billion agriculture industry – and that figure doesn’t include infrastructure or timber damage.

The disaster relief fund’s replenishment was initially slated for consideration during last week’s special legislative session. However, lawmakers postponed the request to focus solely on immigration law enforcement legislation. This decision led to public tensions between DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, including heated exchanges on social media.

Those tensions appeared to ease at Thursday’s Tampa event, where Simpson introduced DeSantis as “America’s governor” and received praise for his work as Agriculture Commissioner. This warming of relations suggests a possible compromise on the immigration bill before next month’s legislative session.

The new funding initiative aims to serve as a bridge until the Legislature can more comprehensively address recovery needs for both the agricultural sector and Florida homeowners affected by the hurricanes.

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(Image credit: Agri-Pulse)