Maddox calls for quick action on disaster relief

This week Scott Maddox, Democratic candidate for Agriculture & Consumer Services, completed a tour of South Florida farms and nurseries, where he surveyed crops damaged by the unseasonably harsh cold weather that had engulfed all of Florida for the past ten (10) days.

“As the Democratic candidate for Agriculture Commissioner in Florida, I want to join with current Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson in calling on Governor Crist to immediately ask for agricultural disaster relief from the federal government for those hit hard by this historic freeze in Florida,” Maddox said. “There is no time for delay; these growers need our help.”

Over the past few days, Maddox has been touring facilities in South Florida hit by the recent weather. Officials from the Dade county Farm Bureau assisted with a tour to survey the damage in Homestead, which included a visit to Maddox’s hometown area of Redland, where his family still owns land in cultivation.

This visit provided clear evidence that action is needed immediately in order to provide assistance to the agricultural community.

“Growers across the state of Florida are hurting. We need immediate action to ensure that they will receive some relief,” Maddox said.

With numbers now being released that suggests up to 30 percent of Florida’s crops have been damaged, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost, now is the time to request federal aid so that these farms and nurseries can hope for a speedy recovery.

“I urge our Governor to act immediately. Agriculture is essential to our state's economy. Growers across the state deserve swift action.”