Gov. Rick Scott announces program for citrus grower relief

Among those still dealing with Hurricane Irma’s fallout are Florida’s citrus growers. On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced the Citrus Emergency Loan Program, a $25 million program to relieve growers affected physically or economically.

The bridge loan program will provide interest-free loans to growers and be managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

“Hurricane Irma was a massive storm that impacted communities across our state, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for the Florida citrus industry,” Scott said in a statement. “I am committed to working with our state and federal partners to help Florida’s citrus industry and the nearly 76,000 jobs it supports. The Florida Citrus Emergency Loan Program will be a valuable resource for affected business owners.”

Citrus growers in Manatee County certainly felt the effects of Irma. Gary Bradshaw, president of SMR Farms, estimated that the storm blew 10 percent of the fruit off citrus trees at Lakewood Ranch.

Producers in other parts of Florida reported even greater losses.

Andrew Meadows, spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual, said that initial reports of Irma’s damage to citrus across the state ranged from 50 to 75 percent in losses.

Scott added that he has worked closely with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and United States Secretary Sonny Perdue to discuss ways to revitalize the industry.

“The path Hurricane Irma took through Florida could not have been more lethal to Florida agriculture – especially our citrus industry,” Putnam said. “We’re all committed to getting growers the help they need, as quickly as possible, to be able to rebuild.

The application period for a loan begins next week and will run through Nov. 30. To qualify for a loan of up to $150,000, growers must visit floridadisasterloan.org. The interest-free loans are granted in terms of up to one year.

Scott has allocated up to $25 million for the program. The DEO will administer the program alongside the Florida Small Business Development Center Network “to provide cash flow to businesses” damaged by the disaster.

The goal of the program is to help bridge the gap between the initial damage and the time it takes to secure other financial resources.

“Florida’s businesses, including citrus producers, are important to Florida’s economy. This program provides much-needed capital that our citrus growers need to recover from Hurricane Irma,” said Mike Myhre, CEO of the Florida SBDC Network.

Any grower that maintains a citrus grove in any of Florida’s counties may apply. However, they must have been established before Sept. 4, 2017, and be able to provide evidence of economic or physical injury to their crops.

Those with questions can visit the application website, contact the Florida SBDC Network at 850-898-3489 or email Disaster@FloridaSBDC.org.

This story was originally published October 6, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Gov. Rick Scott announces program for citrus grower relief."