Lost in a $36.5 billion disaster relief package passed by Congress to help Florida recover from Hurricane Irma was one notable part of Florida’s economy. There is no agriculture relief that made it into the final bill. US Rep Tom Rooney, who has been waging an aggressive campaign to help Florida’s agriculture industry receive disaster assistance, called the bill ‘bittersweet.’ Rooney represents Florida’s 17th District, which includes the majority of the state’s orange growing regions. He told the Herald-Tribune there had been optimism about this year’s orange crop after a long period of decline brought on by devastating citrus greening disease. Irma took that optimism away. Florida’s delegation had been seeking up to $3 billion in agriculture assistance. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson put out a press release last week saying he plans to block one of Donald Trump’s appointees from being confirmed in the Senate unless the agriculture money is included in the next disaster bill.
