The Honorable Brooke Rollins, Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Rollins:
We write in support of Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s request for a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Disaster Declaration for counties in the State of Florida impacted by the freezing temperatures that occurred at the end of January and the beginning of February. This declaration will make it clear that the federal government’s resources will be available to Florida’s farmers and ranchers.
Agriculture is the second-largest economic sector in Florida’s economy, and this weather disaster struck during the production seasons for many of our state’s 300 commodities. These plummeting temperatures broke city and county records not seen in decades across the state.1 Already, the USDA has reported in its National Free On Board Review that central Florida will see a shortage of strawberry supply due to the extreme cold weather on February 2-3, 2026.2 More commodities, including avocados, bell peppers, sugar cane, broccoli, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, citrus, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, apiaries, nurseries, and aquaculture, face threats of production loss that will last for months and in some cases even into future years.
We appreciate your dedication to American agriculture and hope that you will call on Congress and those in the Administration who oversee and operate disaster programs to quickly provide the necessary funds to help our state recover from this tragic event.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued leadership in supporting American agriculture.
Sincerely,
Kat Cammack
Member of Congress
Scott Franklin
Member of Congress
