Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Speaks At 41st Annual AgriTech Trade Show

Commissioner of Agriculture and fifth-generation Floridian Wilton Simpson spoke at the 41st Annual AgriTech trade show in May at the Grimes Family Agricultural Center at the Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds.

Simpson, a lifelong farmer who lived in a mobile home off Charlie Taylor Road in Plant City for several years in his youth, gave a recap of the highlights from the recent Legislative Session, including a bill that restricts foreign countries, including China, from purchasing property in the state, a tax package bill that prohibits a county from levying any special assessments on lands classified as agricultural and a bill that creates a Florida Farm TEAM (Tax Exempt Agricultural Materials) Card for farmers to use for sales tax-exempt purchases.

“This year was a banner year in the legislature, we’ve had quite a few wins,” said Simpson. “These laws are going to make it a lot easier for farmers to operate in this state.”

He also spoke about a $100 million increase to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program that protects agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent land conservation easements. “There are a lot of generational farmers in this state who want to continue to farm and want their families to be able to continue to farm in perpetuity,” he said. “This is going to ensure our long-term survivability in having enough land mass to produce the amount of food we need to support the growing population not only here in this state but in the world.”

AgriTech, hosted by the Florida Strawberry Grower’s Association, featured a trade show along with education sessions that address the challenges facing the agricultural industry.

“It was an honor and a privilege to have Commissioner Simpson here with us,” said Florida Strawberry Growers Association Executive Director Kenneth Parker. “He’s no stranger to this building because during the Florida Strawberry Festival, he likes to come out and support the youth, whether it’s the steer show or steer sale, it’s always good for him to come back and visit.”

Parker, while grateful for the strides the commissioner has made this year, hopes to see him address other issues facing

By Michelle Caceres

Florida farmers. “There’s a lot of streamlining that can happen and he could have some really good influence with duplicative inspections,” he said. “We need one inspection that will be honored by multiple agencies, not each agency doing the same inspection over and over, that costs time and money.”

Parker is also working with the commissioner’s office to advocate for the Florida Pesticide Certification Exam to be offered in Spanish. “For a lot of our pesticide applicators, English is not their native language so we’re working with his office to have Spanish language testing so they can obtain the needed certifications,” he said.

Simpson’s remarks also resonated with event attendees. “It’s wonderful that the agriculture commissioner will come to Hillsborough County and support the Florida Strawberry Grower’s Association,” said cattle rancher Dennis Carlton, Sr. “He has a farming background and he’s very supportive of Florida farmers.”

While Simpson and others are making strides to preserve Florida’s farming legacy, Carlton hopes the federal government will tackle the industry’s labor issues. The federal government recently increased fees of its H-2A visa program that allows employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States on a temporary basis to fill agricultural jobs. Florida also saw the largest wage increase, the hourly Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) went up 15.47% (from $12.41 to $14.33/ hour).

“The costs are continually going up and we’re being told they’re going to continue to go up,” he said. “The rate is set every year so you never know what that labor rate is going to be.”

In a statement issued at his swearing in ceremony in January, he shared his vision to secure the future of agriculture in Florida so it can continue to provide the safest, most abundant and affordable food supply in the nation.

“Florida’s agriculture and related industries are the quiet, and often overlooked giant of our economy- and it deserves the undivided attention of this office,” he said. “Agriculture is a national security issue and without a safe, affordable and abundant food supply, we can’t survive.”