Wagner-Peyser Act

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the agricultural industry in Florida employs approximately two million people and contributes more than $120 billion to the state’s economy. An estimated 47,100 commercial farms in Florida produce nearly 300 different commodities on 9.41 million acres. Florida is the nation’s leading citrus producer, accounting for 53 percent of the total U.S. production in the 2015-2016 citrus season. During the season, Florida farmworkers produced 81.6 million boxes of oranges and 10.8 million boxes of grapefruit exceeding sales of $825 million. The state’s citrus production dropped by 16 percent from the previous season; however total U.S. citrus production dropped by 16 percent. In 2016, Florida ranked first in the United Statesin value of production for fresh market snap beans, fresh market cucumbers, cucumbers for processing, grapefruit, oranges, sugarcane, fresh market tomatoes and watermelons. Florida growers harvested vegetables for fresh market, potatoes, sweet potatoes, strawberries and blueberries from 198,600 acres in 2016. Cash receipts for all agricultural products totaled $8.37 billion in 2015. Crop commodities, such as oranges, greenhouse/nursery, sugarcane and tomatoes, accounted for 72.9 percent of these total cash receipts.

According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Florida Field Office, 2016 Annual Statistical Bulletin, some pre-harvest activities such as planting, transplanting, tying, staking and pruning are performed by farmworkers, as well as post-harvest activities such as packing and juice processing. In 2016, Florida ranked second in the production of bell peppers, fresh market sweet corn, squash and strawberries; third in the production of fresh market cabbage and honey; and fourth in the production of peanuts.

The following breakdown illustrates Florida’s top major labor-intensive crop activity during the 2015-2016 season, per data gathered internally from local career centers and from external partner agencies.

Figure 7.01
Florida’s Top Major Labor-Intensive Crop Activity

Although Florida’s citrus acreage has steadily declined (primarily due to the deadly citrus greening disease), 10,090 acres of new planting were reported in the past year. Results of the annual Commercial Citrus Inventory show total citrus acreage is 480,121 acres, down four percent from the last survey and the lowest in a series which began in 1966. The gross loss of 31,365 acres is the largest loss recorded in a single season since beginning one-year interval surveys in 2009. Florida’s climate allows for an earlier blueberry season than the rest of the country, which means during this time the market is available almost exclusively to Florida growers.

The following breakdown illustrates Florida’s top major labor-intensive crop activity during the 2015-2016 season, per data gathered internally from local career centers and from external partner agencies. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, Florida has the second largest nursery industry in the country, after California.

An estimated 100,000 farmworkers are employed in plant nurseries and ferneries throughout the state. An estimated 2,000 or more farmworkers are employed in sod farming for commercial sale. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ 2015 Florida Agriculture by the Numbers, the state’s expanded wholesale value of floriculture crops increased $107 million over 2014 totals, surpassing the $1 billion marks for the first time in ten years. Total greenhouse and nursery cash value sales of $1,039,411.

During the months of January through March 2016, heavy rains delayed harvest schedules in several parts of Florida. Northern Florida fields were too wet for soil preparation during the middle portion of February 2016. Heavy rains and cool weather impacted vegetable crops with yields and quality severely impacted resulting in little product market movement in South Florida. Wet weather conditions caused disease pressure on strawberries and small grains in the Florida panhandle. Wet conditions prevented corn harvesting in Jackson and Okaloosa counties and hay cutting in Jackson County during the month of August 2016. In September 2016, Hurricane Hermine brought rainfall to almost all areas. Many fields were water saturated and at risk for disease and rotting. In October 2016, several counties along the Atlantic Coast, as well as in the southern and central portion of Florida reported flooding and damages to various fruit and vegetable crops. Due to Hurricane Matthew, leafy greens and cabbage plantings in north Florida were delayed.

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida as one of the strongest hurricanes to make direct landfall in the United States. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ initial report assessing the preliminary damages caused by Hurricane Irma, the hurricane’s path coincided with some of Florida’s most productive agricultural landscapes and consequently caused major losses to all segments of production agriculture. While long-term impacts are still being assessed, as of October 2017, total crop losses were estimated at just over $2 billion and total losses to production agriculture were estimated at just over $2.5 billion.