A bill passed unanimously by the Florida Senate and awaiting House approval would fund a $1 million Florida A&M University (FAMU) research project to identify alternative crops for former citrus lands.
While the legislation authorizes the study, it is contingent on funding approval. The $1 million budget allocation for the FAMU project is part of a larger agricultural relief effort that includes $200 million in citrus recovery aid. The initiative reflects a dual strategy: reviving the citrus industry while exploring alternative crops like olives, hops, hemp and muscadine grapes, which are already being tested in parts of the state.
The $200 million funding is a priority of citrus grower and Senate President Ben Albritton. When the funding was proposed March 26, Albritton declared, “Mark my words, Florida citrus is not going down on my watch.”
The lion’s share of the proposed budget is $190 million for large-scale field trials that demonstrate the impact of utilizing a combination of grove management, therapeutic tools and disease-resistant varieties for new plantings and the rehabilitation of existing trees.
The bill for the FAMU research mandates that FAMU complete a report by Dec. 1 detailing the viability, environmental impact and economic potential of emerging crops. The report would be submitted to the Florida governor, Senate president and House speaker. The study would evaluate which crops can thrive in Florida’s climate, utilize existing infrastructure and provide a profitable path forward for growers struggling to recover.
FAMU, Florida’s only public historically Black university and a land-grant institution, was chosen for its expertise in agricultural research. The university’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences has a strong track record of working with underrepresented farmers and researching non-traditional crops. Lawmakers emphasized the importance of leveraging FAMU’s research capacity to deliver data-driven solutions for the state’s evolving agricultural needs.
With bipartisan backing and momentum in both chambers, the bill is expected to become law by July 1, pending final approval and the governor’s signature.
Source: FAMU
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