Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant Program
Please Note: The Citrus Recovery Block Grant is no longer accepting new applications and the program has closed. If you have any questions, please contact Alex Chuntz at alex.chuntz@em.myflorida.com.
Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant Program (“CRBG”) is available to citrus producers who maintain an active citrus farming operation but have suffered citrus crop damage because of Hurricane Irma. This program was developed by the USDA Farm Service Agency, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. As a state-funded grant, this program and works in conjunction with the 2017 USDA Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP).
The application cycle opened September 18, 2018 and will remain open until all USDA WHIP application appointments are completed, anticipated in mid-December 2018. In order to be eligible for funding, producers must apply to WHIP prior to completing a CRBG application. Further, producers who wish to receive assistance under CRBG must obtain federal crop insurance, tree and/or fruit, for crop years 2020 and 2021 (see below for more details). Once the applications are completed, producers will receive payments through the State of Florida’s My Florida Marketplace (MFMP) vendor payment system via direct deposit or hard-copy check.
The CRBG Program is broken into three parts with a total of $340 Million available. Funding is available for the following:
Part 1: Tree Resets, Grove Rehabilitation, and Irrigation System Repair/Replacement
- Producers may be reimbursed for activities conducted from September 10, 2017 up until the date of their application for impacted groves including tree resets, rehabilitation or replacement; irrigation and drainage system repair, etc.
- Up to $385.00/acre is available to eligible producers who experienced at least 20% crop production loss because of Hurricane Irma.
- To receive funding, producers must provide documentation, including invoices and cancelled checks, to show proof of expense and proof of payment for grove rehabilitation activities.
- Funding will be made available in late Fall 2018
Part 2: Future Economic Losses
- Up to $745.50/acre for expected citrus losses for future crop years is available to eligible producers who experienced at least 40% crop production loss because of Hurricane Irma.
- Three total payments may be distributed over crop years 2019, 2020 and 2021 upon the completion of the following:
- Fall 2018 Site Inspection – up to $372.75/acre
- Proof of purchase for 2020 tree and fruit insurance – up to $186.38/acre
- Proof of purchase for 2021 tree and fruit insurance – up to $186.38/acre
Part 3: Crop Insurance Purchase Requirements (subject to availability of funds)
- Funding may be available for producers to purchase crop insurance premiums and administrative fees for crop years 2020 and 2021.
- Producers who elect to purchase crop insurance for four (4) years, rather than minimum requirement of two (2) years, may be reimbursed for producer-paid premiums and administrative fees associated with crop years 2020 and 2021.
- Up to 2 payments may be disbursed upon submittal of the following documentation:
- Proof of purchase for 2022 crop year insurance – award amount TBD
- Proof of purchase for 2023 crop year insurance – award amount TBD
Participation in the Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant requires producers to purchase Federal crop insurance for both the 2020 and 2021 crop years at a minimum 60 percent level where insurance is available. If you participate in Part 1, you are required to obtain tree insurance. If you participate in Part 2, you are required to obtain fruit insurance.
Where Federal crop insurance is not available, producers must purchase NAP coverage for both
the 2020 and 2021 crop years at a minimum 60 percent coverage level. If NAP coverage at the 60 percent coverage level is unavailable, producers will be required to obtain basic 50/55 NAP coverage for both the 2020 and 2021 crop years. A producer may obtain a level of coverage greater than 60 percent, but the State shall only assist in the purchase at the 60 percent level.
Participation in the block grant requires the applicant to purchase tree and/or fruit insurance in two year or four-year options. The grant requires 60% coverage level, per the block grant agreement, unless otherwise unavailable. Participation in the different parts of the program requires the
following insurance –
- Part 1 (20% Production Loss) - Tree insurance is required.
- Part 2 (40% Production Loss) - Crop (fruit) insurance is required.
