ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hurricane Milton singlehandedly wrecked as much havoc on Florida's agriculture as three other major hurricanes combined, according to new estimates from the state's agriculture department.
Milton, a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall on Florida's western coast on October 9, has severely damaged the state's crops and farming infrastructure, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) said.
The department on Thursday said that based on its initial damage assessment, the estimated total losses to the Sunshine State's agriculture industry now range "between $1.5 and $2.5 billion."
The commodities affected by hurricane damage include animal products, citrus and non-citrus fruit farming, field crops, greenhouses, and vegetable farming, per the damage assessment.
The FDACS said in its damage assessment that Milton created "major structural impacts" on cattle ranches. Separately, a majority of the citrus acreage in Florida was situated in counties hit by Milton, which means "significant production losses" from farmers are expected, per the FDACS.
The FDACS added in its Thursday statement that three major hurricanes that hit the state in the last 13 months — Helene, Debby, and Idalia — caused more than $1.5 billion in damages combined.
Florida's commissioner of agriculture, Wilton Simpson, urged the US Department of Agriculture to issue a disaster declaration for counties affected by Milton, which would hasten aid and assistance for impacted farmers.
In a letter to Tom Vilsack, the secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, on Thursday, Simpson said, "We are a major agricultural producer and exporter, with $8.88 billion in agricultural products sold annually as of the latest USDA agricultural census."
"Agriculture makes up one of the largest portions of Florida's $1.2 trillion gross domestic product, and it is critical that this engine of our economy has the resources they need to continue to operate."
He said that the hurricane had devastated livestock, nurseries, crops, and agricultural equipment and infrastructure.
"If immediate action is not taken, we are at risk of losing significant agriculture, aquaculture, and silviculture operations in this region due to circumstances beyond our farmers' control," Simpson added in the letter.
Florida's agricultural industry is a major driver of the state's economy. It has around 44,400 farms and ranches, spanning over 9.7 million acres, per numbers from the Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
In 2023, Florida accounted for 20% of the country's orange production, 34% of its watermelon production, and 28% of its grapefruit production, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
According to an October 10 note from analysts from Fitch Ratings, Hurricane Milton has resulted in an estimated $30 billion to $50 billion of insured losses in Florida.
Before the hurricane made landfall, Moody's Analytics estimated that $1.1 trillion worth of commercial property would be exposed to dangerous hurricane winds.
According to an estimate by Moody's Analytics on October 8, more than 235,000 commercial real estate properties in Florida had a greater than 50% chance of being exposed to wind speeds of at least 50 miles per hour.
Milton came just days after Hurricane Helene hit Florida and other southeastern states, leaving more than 200 people dead.
In a report on September 30, Moody's Analytics projected the damage from Helene to be between $20 billion and $34 billion.
Representatives of Florida's Department of Agriculture didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside business hours.
