Tucked inside a $77 billion budget is $2 million for the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, an agriculture research facility in Immokalee.
Officials were hoping for $5 million, but neither the state House nor Senate included it in their respective budgets. However, officials are now pleased money was allocated last minute.
Calvin Arnold who heads up the Center said the agriculture industry and local lawmakers worked very hard to secure the funds. The money will improve and expand the center’s facilities, which he said will help a lot of local farmers.
“Being in Immokalee, we are in the heart of the South Florida Ag industry, which is a big industry and very important to the economies of the counties in this area,” he said. “We try to meet the needs of Ag statewide whenever appropriate, but our primary focus is on the five counties of Collier, Lee Charlotte, Glades and Hendry.”
Arnold said the bulk of the center’s work is helping out the citrus industry, which has been plagued by citrus greening, a bacterium that has been decimating orange trees for years.
Arnold said he and agriculture officials will work next year to secure reoccurring funds, so that the Center can open faculty and technician positions.
