Wilton Simpson, Commissioner of Agriculture for the state of Florida, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s been going on in the state.
The recent rain has helped farmers, for sure.
Simpson said, “The more rains we can get on the ground in the next few weeks, the better off we will be through lightning season and the summer rains are coming. Normally by the end of May, first of June we are in that season.”
The state is still in dry times, but the few days of rain do help.
Simpson said, “I have to remind everybody, please put your backyard fires out if you’re grilling outside. If you smoke, please don’t throw your cigarettes out the windows. Keep everybody safe.”
The Florida Department of Agriculture also oversees energy in the state. A closure of Port Everglades recently caused some fuel shortages.
Simpson said, “We declared a state of emergency a few days after there was 26 inches of rain in the Fort Lauderdale area. It flooded a lot of streets and gas stations in the area. Within days we had inspected all of those gas stations in and around the flooded area to make sure they were safe to reopen. All except a couple of gas stations are back up and running.”
A request was made to the federal government to use a winter blend of fuel to get through the shortage. The Environmental Protection Agency only allowed that in Broward County.
Simpson said, “That created some shortages that we did not have to have. We’re in much better shape today, but had they approved our full request, I believe we’d have had $.15 to $.20 less a gallon fuel in this state much earlier and quicker. That’s part of our job. We’re trying to protect our consumers and the state of Florida’s economy.”
Operation Outdoor Freedom for our veterans is underway, which works on getting veterans out into the community.
Simpson said, “This is something very special. We get them outside. Fishing, hunting, things of that nature. Hiking. These facilities are built with wounded veterans in mind. They are accessible by these veterans.”
The program is done all over the state. There are eight facilities in Florida. A new one will open today.
Simpson said, “Just to see these wounded veterans get outside and be able to do these type of activities is really heartwarming and is something we’re really proud of. You can’t give veterans enough as it is. They’ve given us our way of life and the idea that now we’re able to support these wounded veterans is really amazing to me.”
In terms of the state budget, the Department of Agriculture is looking for funding for the wildlife corridor as well as pay raises for employees. There are 4,500 employees in the Department of Agriculture.
Simpson said, “We’re trying to make efficiencies within the department. We’re trying to be able to operate in real time. We’re trying to have the right technology and the right people to be able to do this job. Ultimately what our job is is to protect our supply chain.”
Food is critical in the country. If there was no food in the grocery store for a week, things would quickly become chaotic.
Simpson said, “When I think about agriculture, I think about our food supply. We want it to be the most safe, affordable, abundant food anywhere in the world, which is what we have today. We want to make sure that we keep that. We want to make sure that our legislature has the proper attention on our agriculture industry so that we can keep those things. Agriculture is the number two leading driver of the economy.”
Agriculture includes more than $180 billion of economic output every year and more than 2 million employees work in agriculture in Florida.
Simpson said, “When you think about agriculture, it is an economic engine, but again the reality is that we cannot live without our food. When we do legislation we look at it as a national security issue.”
For more information on the Department of Agriculture, click here: https://www.fdacs.gov/