While certain sectors of Florida’s agriculture industry have declined in recent decades — citrus and fruit production in particular — the overall impact agriculture has on the state’s economy is enormous and continues to grow.
And there is a significant agricultural industry here in Southwest Florida. Growers in our region produce crops like citrus, tomatoes, watermelons, and other fruits and vegetables. This region also has a thriving livestock industry, with cattle and dairy farms contributing to the economy.
But, times are changing for all of us and this definitely includes those working to grow food. Growers continue to face challenges, old and new, including changes in land use as farmland is converted to residential and commercial use, pests and diseases like citrus greening, and the availability of farm labor.
We learn about a new study Florida Gulf Coast University’s Center for Agribusiness is embarking on to evaluate the future of the ag industry in Southwest Florida over the next 25 years.
The study is a follow up to one conducted in 2006 that surveyed industry leaders to get their sense of the future of agriculture in southwest Florida. This new research effort will compare predictions made in 2006, and look out into the next 25 years.
Guests:
Dr. Fritz Roka, Director of the Florida Gulf Coast University Center for Agribusiness
Dr. Barry Goodwin, agricultural economist and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University, and an FGCU Presidential Fellow
Ron Hamel, former vice president of the Gulf Citrus Growers Association and a longtime industry leader
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