Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 178
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       16-01357A-25                                           2025178__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to an agronomic study on emerging
    3         crops; requiring Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
    4         University to conduct an agronomic study on emerging
    5         crops in this state, subject to legislative
    6         appropriation; requiring Florida Agricultural and
    7         Mechanical University to submit a report to the
    8         Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
    9         providing requirements for the report; providing an
   10         effective date.
   11  
   12         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that Florida agricultural
   13  producers have endured a continuous stream of deadly diseases
   14  and adverse weather conditions, including drought, wind,
   15  flooding, and hurricanes, and
   16         WHEREAS, these damaging weather conditions have severely
   17  reduced agricultural production, caused a loss of jobs, and
   18  caused severe economic loss to communities, families, and
   19  individual producers, and
   20         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that preserving agricultural
   21  production is vital to Florida’s rural communities and overall
   22  economy, and
   23         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that preserving agricultural
   24  land through production of crops rather than using the land for
   25  development has many ecological benefits, including maintaining
   26  wildlife habitat, absorbing carbon dioxide, recharging aquifers,
   27  reducing greenhouse gases, and controlling soil erosion, and
   28         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that this loss of
   29  agricultural infrastructure, jobs, economic opportunity, and
   30  wildlife habitat is not sustainable and has a negative impact on
   31  the quality of life for all Floridians, NOW, THEREFORE,
   32  
   33  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   34  
   35         Section 1. Agronomic study on emerging crops in Florida.—
   36         (1) Subject to the appropriation of funds by the
   37  Legislature, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
   38  shall conduct an agronomic study on emerging agricultural crops
   39  and determine whether there exists one or more viable crops or
   40  products that would provide economic benefit to growers using
   41  current agricultural infrastructure on land that has been taken
   42  out of production due to the effects of diseases and adverse
   43  weather conditions.
   44         (2) By December 1, 2025, Florida Agricultural and
   45  Mechanical University shall submit a report to the Governor, the
   46  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   47  Representatives which includes, at a minimum:
   48         (a) Information about each crop or product considered,
   49  detailing the environmental impact;
   50         (b) An assessment of each crop’s suitability to Florida’s
   51  climate, and the expected economic benefit to Florida growers
   52  and communities; and
   53         (c) Recommendations for best practices to sustain and
   54  improve Florida’s agricultural industry.
   55         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.