Buchanan Bill to Save FL Oranges Wins Key Support

Press Release

The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee today unanimously approved Congressman Vern Buchanan's bipartisan legislation to aid Florida orange growers in their battle against the dreaded citrus greening disease. The bill now heads to the full House for a vote scheduled next week.

Buchanan's Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act will make it less costly for growers to replace trees damaged by citrus greening, an incurable bacterial disease that has infected 99 percent of Florida's commercial citrus groves.

"The strong committee vote is a clear message: we must do all we can to protect American jobs," Buchanan said. "We are one step closer to protecting the livelihoods of the 62,000 hardworking Floridians who form the backbone of the Sunshine State's iconic citrus industry."

The legislation provides tax incentives for farmers who cannot afford to replace trees affected by citrus greening. Under current law, growers are allowed an immediate deduction for the cost of replanting diseased trees, but the farmer must bear the full cost. Buchanan's proposal would allow struggling farmers to use this deduction even if they bring in investors to raise capital for replanting costs, as long as the grower continues to own a major stake in the grove. It also extends this incentive to purchasers of land with diseased trees.

Every member of Florida's 29-member congressional delegation in both the U.S. House and Senate supports Buchanan's legislation.

Experts project a 26 percent decline in Florida's signature orange crop for this upcoming season -- the worst in over 50 years. The disease, also known as "yellow dragon disease," arrived in Florida in 2005 and has since infected 99 percent of commercial citrus groves in the state -- as well as 50 percent of the groves in Texas.

"Farmers work incredibly hard and take immense risks to get food to our dining room tables," Buchanan said. "They're part of the fabric of American life and Congress should take every opportunity to support their efforts."

Greening has begun to march across the country, and has been found in California, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia. Once infected, trees must be uprooted and destroyed. Replacing citrus trees is costly, but farmers have no choice. They must replant in order to earn a living. Growers face an average replacement cost of almost $2,000 per acre.

Citrus greening has caused more than $4 billion in economic damage while eliminating 8,000 jobs, according to a study done four years ago by the University of Florida. Florida Citrus Mutual, a citrus trade association, estimates that those numbers have doubled in the past four years.

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