Two congressional freshmen from Florida expected to face tough reelection bids in 2016--Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo and Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham--teamed up to bring out a proposal to help farmers in the Sunshine State impacted by Oriental fruit flies.
Curbelo and Graham showcased the bill on Friday. The legislation mandates the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) use monies from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to help farmers impacted by the flies.
Curbelo explained why he crafted the bill which was sent to the House Agriculture Committee. So far, there is no version of the bill in the Senate.
“On October 1, 2015 a 98 square-mile quarantine was issued in South Miami-Dade County to contain a recent discovery of Oriental fruit flies,” Curbelo said on Friday. “Though the quarantine has been absolutely necessary, and so far effective, to eradicate this invasive pest, it has taken a toll on local farmers who have been unable to plant or bring their crops to market. To address this problem, Rep. Graham and myself have introduced, H.R. 4226 which will direct the USDA Secretary to make funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation available to South Florida farmers, providing much needed relief to those who have been severely impacted by this pest. Crop insurance or similar products do not cover market losses due to a state or federal quarantine, making the CCC the only available option for relief.
“This bill will ensure that one-time payments are made only to farmers in the quarantined area of South Florida and that the payment to each farmer does not exceed 70 percent of the rolling average market value of their crop,” Curbelo added. “No single farmer will be eligible to receive more than $125,000. In addition, any farmer receiving a payment as a result of this legislation will be required to purchase crop insurance or a similar product for two years to ensure participation in agriculture protection programs.
“I thank my colleague Rep. Graham for her leadership on this important matter,” Curbelo concluded. “The Oriental fruit fly has the potential to decimate the agriculture community throughout Florida and our nation. It is critical we eradicate this invasive pest immediately while still providing impacted farmers with the relief they need to grow next season.”
“Florida farmers work every day to provide us with food for our tables,” Graham said. "They deserve to know that when disaster strikes, we have their back. I’m proud to work on this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Curbelo and applaud him for his work on this important issue.”
The USDA defines the CCC as a “government-owned and operated entity that was created to stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices” which “helps maintain balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and aids in their orderly distribution.”
First spotted at the end of August, more than 150 fruit flies were detected in South Florida in the later part of summer, mostly around Redland. Oriental fruit flies lay eggs in fruits and vegetables, making them a major threat to produce.
In the middle of September, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam declared a state agriculture emergency, insisting the Oriental fruit flies are threatening the state’s tropical plant and produce industries.
“The Oriental fruit fly is one of the world’s most destructive pests and poses a significant threat to Florida’s $123 billion agriculture industry and the 2 million jobs it supports,” Putnam said at that. “Miami-Dade County’s agriculture industry is a $1.6 billion industry, and we will use every weapon in our arsenal that’s necessary to eradicate this pest and protect Florida agriculture and our economy."
Most of the Florida congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack back in September, urging his department to continue efforts to eliminate the flies. Curbelo took the lead on crafting that letter and rounding up representatives to sign it.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
