The U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined there were sufficient production losses in 60 Florida counties to warrant a Secretarial disaster designation. This is due to losses caused by record cold weather, frost, and freezes that occurred during the period January 2 through January 14, 2010.
This designation makes growers in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE). SURE was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and was implemented beginning on January 4, 2010. FSA will consider each application on its own merit by taking into account the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability. Local FSA offices can provide affected growers with additional information.