Sen. Rick Scott Encourages USDA Sec. to Support Florida’s Specialty Crops in Any Potential Aid Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott announced a letter to Brooke Rollins, secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, encouraging the full consideration and inclusion of specialty crop growers in any potential relief package to support growers affected by unfair trade practices and market distortions, which these growers have faced from Communist China, Latin America, and other foreign markets for years. Senator Scott additionally urged Secretary Rollins to prohibit the use of any aid dollars to purchase goods made in Communist China, ensuring relief flows exclusively to American producers to strengthen America's domestic supply chains under President Trump's America First agenda.

Read the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Rollins:

First, thank you for your commitment to helping our growers and producers succeed. In Florida and across the country, our farmers are vital to our nation's food supply and our rural communities, yet they have faced longstanding challenges that demand focused attention and support. As the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers agricultural aid and support, I ask that you ensure that specialty crop growers are fully included in any package.

For years, Florida's specialty crop producers have battled unfair trade practices and market distortions caused by Communist China, Latin America, and other foreign markets while also facing challenges such as citrus greening and hurricanes.

Many of their foreign competitors enjoy government subsidies and operate under far weaker labor and environmental standards - even for imports into the United States - while Florida's growers are held to some of the highest production standards in the world, leaving them to compete on an uneven playing field.

The decades-long dispute between Florida's specialty crop growers and Mexican producers offers a clear example of these inequities. Despite multiple antidumping investigations and suspension agreements by the Department of Commerce, Mexican producers continue to engage in pricing practices that undermine U.S. markets and depress prices for American farmers. While I am thrilled to see the administration act to address this on the global stage going forward, Florida growers have suffered as imported produce floods the market during our growing seasons, driving down prices and threatening family farms across our state.

As the USDA prepares an agricultural aid package for industries harmed by Communist China and other foreign markets, such as the soybean industry, it is critical that specialty crop producers are explicitly included and receive equitable treatment. For too long, these hardworking farmers have been left behind while other commodity producers have received significant federal relief. I also recognize the USDA will fund such support with tariff revenues, which is a meaningful way to drive these investments back into the United States' economy. To ensure these funds go directly to American growers and businesses, I ask that any aid prohibit the use of dollars to purchase agricultural commodities, equipment, or materials made in Communist China.

It would be unacceptable for taxpayer-funded relief meant to support American farmers to flow, even indirectly, to the Chinese Communist Party or its state-backed industries.

To that end, I respectfully request that the USDA immediately cease any current or future procurement or funding of agricultural goods or equipment from Communist China, and ensure that every dollar of this aid program works toward President Trump's America First agenda by supporting American producers, American workers, and American supply chains.

Florida's specialty crop growers have proven their resilience time and again, but they cannot compete indefinitely against subsidized foreign products and unfair trade manipulation. By ensuring these producers are fully included in this upcoming aid package, funded responsibly through existing tariff revenues, and by keeping every federal dollar in the hands of American farmers-not Communist China-we can uphold our commitment to fairness, accountability, and national security.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to continuing to work with you to protect Florida's farmers and ensure our federal agricultural policy always puts American interests first.

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