Florida suffers $1 billion hit to agriculture industry from Hurricane Ian
Counties with the highest reported losses include Manatee, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Hardee and Hendry. Hurricane Ian had maximum sustained winds around 150 mph when it made landfall at Cayo Costa, Florida.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A newly released report on the devastation to Florida’s agriculture industry from Hurricane Ian calculated losses to be around $1.03 billion, surpassing many previous extreme weather events that have impacted the Sunshine State.
Experts with the University of Florida’s Economic Impact Analysis Program reported nearly 5 million acres of agricultural land were affected by the Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on the southwest coast in late September.
Months of analysis determined that winds, rainfall and flooding impacted nearly 77% of the state’s counties, with livestock grazing lands appearing to be the hardest hit.
Researchers found that of the commodity groups that were most impacted citrus, vegetables, melons and nursery programs topped the list. Together, the commodities accounted for nearly $650 million in losses.
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"Some of these climate-related disasters are destructive to agriculture, but agriculture is a seasonal activity. So, it really depends on what was in the field at the time of the event, and what growth stage that it was out while the event hit," said Christa Court, director of the EIAP and an assistant professor at the UF/IFAS food and resources economics department.
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Consumers are still reeling from some of the impacts, with orange juice prices hovering at high levels due to smaller crop sizes.
The study identified counties around the Interstate 4 corridor and southward as being the hardest hit, with Manatee County seeing losses of more than $126 million and Hillsborough coming in at around $104 million.
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Dr. Christa Court, assistant professor of Regional Economics and director of the Economic Impact Analysis Program at the University of Florida, joined FOX Weather on Sunday morning to explain the impact Hurricane Ian had on agriculture in Florida last September.
The loss figures do not include the cost of replanting or repairing damages that would return the industry to pre-hurricane status.
"We are not able to measure things such as the cost of repairing or replacing damaged structures or equipment, replanting perennial crops or replacing livestock," said Court.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimated agribusinesses contribute more than $160 billion to the state’s economy and employ in excess of 100,000 workers.
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UF economists began collecting information on hurricanes’ agricultural losses after Irma impacted the Sunshine State in 2017.
Program experts said Hurricane Ian was the first storm they examined precipitation and estimated flood depths to get a more accurate estimate of impact levels on Florida.
Including agriculture, overall estimated damages from the storm reached around $113 billion, making it the third costliest U.S. hurricane, ranking only behind Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2017.
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