Fast Facts On Florida Ag

by Frank Giles

frgiles@meistermedia.com

More than 42,000 commercial farms supply more than 280 essential commodities to customers throughout North America and to more than 100 international trading partners. The value of agricultural production to the state’s economy is staggering. The agricultural industry is made up of more than just farms. Services, processing, packaging, marketing, transportation, wholesaling, and retailing all are components of the Florida agricultural industry, and they all rely on the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) research and Extension. Florida also has a broad area of ancillary services such as lawn care, pest control, golf courses, natural resources, and recreational areas that benefit from research and Extension from IFAS.

Florida’s agricultural industry creates almost 800,000 jobs and has an economic impact of $100 billion annually. Nationally, Florida consistently ranks in the top five states in cash farm receipts. (Floridia ranks behind California, Illinois, Iowa, and Texas.) Agriculture is not confined to rural areas. In fact, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orange, and Hillsborough counties consistently lead the state in agricultural cash receipts.

Citrus has a $9 billion economic impact on Florida. Citrus also serves as the state’s signature industry producing 80% of the orange juice consumed domestically, while fortifying the economies of many rural Florida communities. Although Florida citrus growers are facing numerous challenges, it is still a potent economic engine.