U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has declared that the freezing temperatures that blanketed Florida during the past two months constituted a disaster.
During winter storms that took place Dec. 30-Jan. 1 and Jan. 26-Feb. 4, 66 of the 67 counties in the state experienced multiple hours of freezing temperatures.
“Much of these losses will take years (if ever) to recover. The devastation is heartbreaking,” Rollins said in a social media post that included photos of her meeting with members of Florida’s congressional delegation.
Special thanks to so many of our wonderful Florida Delegation who joined me to discuss, and then sign, a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for impacted Florida farmers following the devastating winter ice storms. Projections include an estimated $3.17 billion in agricultural… pic.twitter.com/3ThWBSHwKt
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) March 5, 2026
The disaster declaration provides emergency loans and programs to producers who suffered losses.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced last month that damage totaled $3.17 billion in preliminary estimates.
That damage includes crops lost during this and future growing seasons.
“I appreciate President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for always putting America’s farmers first, and for quickly issuing this official disaster declaration. Beyond the desperately needed federal support and financing that this declaration will now make available, it is also an acknowledgement of the incredible hardship and loss that Florida’s growers experienced from the historic freezes,” Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said in a news release.
Simpson asked for the declaration on Jan. 30, in advance of the cold temperatures.
Total estimated losses to Florida agriculture: Over $3.1 billion
- Tomatoes: $164,273,849
- Strawberries: $306,965,897
- Watermelons $65,437,343
- Sweet Corn: $255,363,251
- Sugarcane: $1,152,122,146
- Bell Peppers: $108,380,389
- Potatoes: $79,065,000
- Cabbage: $21,800,280
- Squash: $24,522,275
- Blueberries: $78,512,400
- Greenhouse and Nursery: $240,000,000
- Citrus: $674,660,336
Estimates via Simpson’s office.
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