The Brief
- Agricultural production losses in Florida from Hurricane Milton could reach $642.7 million.
- Milton affected more than 5.7 million acres of agricultural land, two-thirds of which was used for livestock grazing, according to UF/IFAS.
- Livestock and animal production losses were estimated at $29.3 million to $86.5 million.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Agricultural production losses in Florida from Hurricane Milton could reach $642.7 million, pushing the state’s potential crop and livestock losses from three hurricanes this year to nearly $1 billion.
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS, on Friday released a preliminary estimate of losses from Milton, which plowed into Sarasota County with 120 mph maximum sustained winds on Oct. 9, crossed the state and affected 55 counties.
With losses estimated between $190.4 million and $642.7 million, Milton had a larger impact on agricultural production in Florida than Hurricane Debby in August and Hurricane Helene in September. Both of those hurricanes made landfall in rural Taylor County.…