Florida citrus farmers can now apply for over $600 million in USDA disaster grants

A recent report by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) estimated that citrus-related damages resulting from storms Ezra and Gianina added up to $675 million. 

The once-in-decades freeze events that hit the state at the beginning of January and February, respectively, left producers of the local star crop with a difficult task ahead. They won’t only have to manage with fruit loss but also with tree damage, the destruction of productive infrastructure, and the prospect of future revenue losses, as the health impact on surviving groves may affect crop yield and output quality for years to come. 

As a result, the FDACS was the first state agency to secure funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in what is now known as the Block Grant Disaster Relief Program. The initiative allocates over $600 million in disaster assistance to citrus growers impacted by the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons and the freeze events of early 2026. 

Applying to the citrus-exclusive grants

Among the requirements, growers must have lost at least 10 percent of their crop and still be engaged in ongoing citrus production and harvest activities at the time of application. The FDACS will assess cases on a first-come, first-served basis, and beneficiaries may receive up to $200.49 per acre in future economic loss for a two-year period, awarded in yearly payments. 

Applications opened on February 25, and eligible producers may submit their documentation until August 25, 2026, or until funds are exhausted. 

*Main image courtesy of Georgia Citrus; all images are referential. 

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