Florida Farm Bureau President addresses Ag Committees

(Tallahassee, Fla.) – Florida’s agriculture, natural resources and related industries might now be the number one driver of the Florida economy; Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick told House and Senate committees yesterday.

Hoblick took the opportunity to highlight new statistics and information derived from a UF/IFAS study that demonstrates agriculture’s importance. The study results from a partnership between Farm Bureau and IFAS to determine the economic impact agriculture has on our state.

“As you are keenly aware, all sectors of our state’s economy, including agriculture, have been facing serious economic issues. One of the messages we would like to leave with you today is that, on a relative basis, agriculture and the industries related to it are holding up better than other segments of the economy,” Hoblick said. “In fact, as a driver of Florida’s economy, this segment can be invaluable to Florida’s economic recovery. Florida’s agriculture, natural resources and related industries provide an attractive platform upon which that recovery can be built.”

Hoblick encouraged the committee members to support measures that foster the agriculture industry’s continued growth in the state.

He specifically he called for the reduction of regulations for small businesses, the preservation of the Greenbelt Law and support for the production of renewable sources for electricity. Hoblick also pointed out the need for adequate funding of UF/IFAS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

State Sen. Charlie Dean, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, said Hoblick’s presentation gave the committee members some interesting insights into the contributions of agriculture to the state economy.

“As we all know, agriculture is a very important segment of our economy and has the potential to have an even greater positive impact. I encourage all members of the agriculture community, particularly my friends at the Florida Farm Bureau, to continue to remind the members of the Florida Legislature we must provide adequate support of agriculture in our state. Agriculture is a key element of what makes Florida such a great state and we must do everything in our power to protect our industry,” Sen. Dean said.

The study report is available online at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE829

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, nonprofit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s Web site, http://FloridaFarmBureau.org