Farm Bureau urges citizens to attend ‘energy rally’

Florida Farm Bureau has joined with a coalition called Energy Citizens to hold a rally highlighting the negative impacts that climate change legislation will have on agriculture, industry and small businesses in Florida.  The event will be held Thursday, August 27 at the Ritz Theatre in Ybor City from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

John Hoblick, president of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation will be there to speak about how the climate change bill (H.R. 2454) that passed the U.S. House in June will negatively impact both Florida’s farmers and consumers. Farm Bureau members and others in the surrounding area should make plans to attend the rally.

“This is an important issue that will directly impact every family, farm and business in the state,” Hoblick said. “The climate change bill would raise energy costs across the board and we are working to make people aware of just how harmful this legislation could be to our state.”

Florida Farm Bureau is concerned that this legislation would guarantee a future of higher electricity, fuel and fertilizer prices without allowing agriculture to recoup these added costs.  This means higher cost of production, increased food prices and a significant advantage for foreign competitors.

“I hope Farm Bureau members and others will make their voices heard on this issue,” Hoblick said.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s Web site, http://FloridaFarmBureau.org  More information about Energy Citizens can be found by visiting their Web site at http://energycitizens.com