Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam News

Timber Industry Suffers $1.3B in Losses from Hurricane Michael

Trees brought down by Hurricane Michael’s ferocious winds took a heavy toll on life, property and the timber industry in the heavily forested Florida Panhandle, where $1.3 billion in timber was lost, authorities said Friday. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam …

Investigators: Excessive Speed Caused Florida Roller Coaster Derailment

Excessive speed caused a roller coaster to derail at a Florida boardwalk, according to a preliminary investigative summary released Tuesday. Two riders fell 34 feet (10 meters) when the front car of the Sand Blaster Roller Coaster was left dangling …

Fire that Destroyed 36 Homes in Florida Sparked by Controlled Burn

John Matthew Polous watched a “controlled-burn” fire for three days as it consumed foliage outside his tiny community on the Florida Panhandle. And then he watched as it quickly raged out of control. What he doesn’t understand is why it …

Hurricane Irma Blamed for Worst Florida Citrus Crop Since 1940s

Florida’s citrus growers are blaming Hurricane Irma for one of their worst seasons in decades. In a Naples Daily News report, U.S. agriculture officials said Florida’s orange production dropped nearly 35 percent from the previous season. Grapefruit production was half …

Irma Dealt Devastating Blow to Florida Citrus, Other Crops

Florida’s famous oranges are still falling from trees and rotting on the ground weeks after Hurricane Irma, and the state’s agriculture commissioner said Thursday there will be fewer Florida vegetables on Thanksgiving tables and a shortage of poinsettias at Christmas. …

Agriculture Officials Say Florida Crops Devastated by Irma

Florida’s agriculture commissioner said Monday that the path of Hurricane Irma “could not have been more lethal” to the state’s farmers and that the scope of damage to the state’s fruits and vegetables is unprecedented. Commissioner Adam Putnam, along with …

Number of Florida Wildfires Tops 2,100 So Far This Year

State officials say 170,000 acres in Florida have burned from wildfires since the start of the year. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said that more than 127 active fires were burning in Florida as of Monday. Since the start of …