USDA Provides $9 Million in Assistance to Florida Producers Affected by the Oriental Fruit Fly

FLORIDA CITY, Fla., Dec. 9, 2021 – Florida agricultural producers affected by the Oriental Fruit Fly quarantine in Miami-Dade County from 2015 to 2016 are eligible for assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is making $9 million available to help producers impacted by the quarantine of one of the world’s most serious fruit fly pests. Affected producers can apply for assistance from Jan.3 until March 4, 2022.

“We know this quarantine had tremendous impacts on Florida producers, and we want to provide relief for these producers who helped us stop the spread of this very dangerous pest,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “If your farm suffered losses because of the quarantine, please contact your local USDA Service Center for assistance.” 

The Oriental fruit fly affects 478 fruits and vegetables, and Florida state government and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) implemented a quarantine in the Redland area of Miami-Dade County from Aug. 28, 2015, to Feb. 13, 2016, due to Oriental fruit fly detections. The quarantine, covering 98.65 square miles, was necessary to eradicate the Oriental fruit fly and prevent its spread to other parts of the state. Crops that might have otherwise been harvested during either the 2015 or 2016 crop growing seasons were affected by the quarantine. 

Eligible Producers 

To be eligible for this assistance, applicants must have been actively producing and marketing crops during the time of the quarantine. Applicants do not have to be producing or marketing agricultural products currently. 

Additionally, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and federal crop insurance purchase requirements do not apply to producers eligible for this assistance because a federally declared quarantine is not an eligible cause of loss under either program in Florida. As a result, eligible producers do not need to purchase NAP or federal crop insurance to receive assistance. 

How to Apply 

Eligible producers can contact the call center for OFF at 877-508-8364 or contact their local  USDA Service Center to learn more or to submit an OFF application. Additional details can be found in a rule that will be published soon in the Federal Register. A copy of the rule is available here. 

Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors. Producers should contact their local Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment. Additionally, more information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus. 

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov. 

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