Florida agriculture losses could hit $1.9 billion due to Hurricane Ian

MYAKKA CITY, Fla. - Hurricane Ian inflicted an estimated $1.18 billion to $1.9 billion in damage to Florida’s agriculture industry as the storm tore through groves, fields, and ranches last month in southwest Florida and Central Florida, according to a preliminary state report issued Monday. 

The report said 154,846 of the state’s 375,302 acres of citrus were hit by Category 4-force winds in the storm, which made landfall Sept. 28 in Lee and Charlotte counties. An additional 49,449 acres experienced Category 3 winds. 

Meanwhile, ranches sustained $337 million to $492 million in damage. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said the report is the first step in securing federal disaster aid. 

"We will continue our close collaboration on the ground with industry partners to gain further insight into the depth and breadth of Ian’s damage," Fried said in a statement.

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Non-citrus fruit and vegetable crops sustained losses of $153 million to $230 million, while field crops including sugarcane sustained $86 million to $160 million in estimated losses. Horticultural crops sustained $153 million to $297 million in losses.

The report also said about 250 animals, mostly dairy cows, were killed by the storm, while an estimated 257,194 calves awaiting to be shipped to out-of-state feedlots remain in stressful conditions.

Monday’s report came after the University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences last week estimated industry losses at $786.6 million to $1.56 billion from Ian.

In 2017, Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in the Florida Keys and then moved up the state, inflicted an estimated $2.5 billion in agriculture losses, including $761 million in the citrus industry.