Is Florida Governor DeSantis Leading Small Citrus Farmers to Ruin? And, Why?
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to helping small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
While DeSantis is not solely responsible for the citrus industry’s decline—his administration’s policies and inaction have significantly contributed to small farmers’ struggles
Florida’s small citrus farmers are teetering on the brink of extinction, and the state—under Governor Ron DeSantis—may bear significant responsibility for their demise. With production plummeting 90% since 2004—from 300 million boxes to just 14.1 million in 2025—small growers are battling citrus greening, hurricanes, and development pressures. While DeSantis has made some efforts to support the industry, his administration’s policies and priorities often fall short, leaving small farmers to wither while big agriculture thrives. Is the governor leading small farmers to ruin, or is the state’s failure to act decisively the real culprit?
The Demise of Small Citrus Farmers: A Florida-Fueled Crisis?
Small citrus farmers, who produced 20% of Florida’s citrus in 2022 (USDA data), are facing unprecedented challenges. Citrus greening, with an 80% infection rate (Florida Phoenix, 2019), costs $5,000-$10,000 per acre annually to manage (University of Florida IFAS, 2023). Development pressures are also crushing them—Polk County saw the highest U.S. population influx in 2023 (Yahoo News, 2025), forcing many to sell their land to developers.
Trevor Murphy, a small grower in Sebring, told the Associated Press on February 18, 2025, “The Florda Citrus Commission isn’t doing enough. We need real help, not just marketing for big brands like Tropicana. My family has been growing oranges for generations, and we’re barely hanging on.” While Murphy’s quote targets the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), the FCC operates under state oversight, and its failures reflect broader state-level inaction.
Governor DeSantis has taken some steps to support the citrus industry. In 2019, he directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) to disburse $340 million in Citrus Recovery Block Grants for Hurricane Irma recovery, with $77 million approved by June 2019 (Florida Daily, 2019). He also proposed $20 million for citrus research and the Citrus Health Response Program in his 2025-2026 budget, including $7 million for the Department of Citrus (CBS Miami, 2025). However, these measures are insufficient for small farmers. The $20 million pales in comparison to the industry’s needs—Senate Agriculture Chairman Sen. Keith Truenow suggested a $200 million investment (CBS Miami, 2025)—and much of the funding benefits large processors through marketing, not small growers battling greening.
Florida’s broader agricultural policies under DeSantis often prioritize big ag over small farmers. His 2021 signing of SB 88, modernizing the Right to Farm Act, was praised by Senate President Wilton Simpson: “Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature stand with Florida farmers” (FL Gov, 2021). But the act primarily protects large operations from nuisance lawsuits, offering little direct aid to small citrus farmers facing greening. DeSantis’ focus on fiscal conservatism—his 2025-2026 budget totals $115.6 billion with $14.6 billion in reserves (Florida Vets, 2025)—limits funding for critical research and direct support, leaving small farmers vulnerable.
Potential Violations of Florida Statutes and Laws: State Neglect in the Spotlight
The state’s failure to adequately support small citrus farmers raises serious legal concerns, potentially violating Florida Statutes and governance laws.
Failure to Uphold Statutory Mandates (Florida Statutes Section 601.04)
Florida Statutes Section 601.04 establishes the FCC and the Department of Citrus, requiring them to act in the best interest of all growers. The Florida Citrus Commission, overseen by the governor through appointments, sets the direction for the Department of Citrus, which executes policies impacting growers. In 2023, the Department of Citrus spent $18 million (60%) of its $29 million budget on marketing and administrative costs, with only $5 million (17%) allocated to research (public records). This imbalance fails to address greening’s 80% infection rate, directly harming small farmers who rely on research to survive. A 2018 Florida Auditor General audit criticized the Department for similar spending patterns, suggesting a breach of its statutory mandate to support all growers (Florida Auditor General, 2018).
Governor DeSantis appoints Florida Citrus Commission, members, and his 2022 reappointments included executives like Carlos Martinez (Coca-Cola) and William Poulton (PepsiCo/Tropicana), who represent large processors (FL Gov, 2022). This bias toward big ag in appointments may contribute to the Florida Citrus Commission’s neglect of small farmers, potentially violating Section 601.04. Small farmers could argue that the state, through the governor’s oversight, has failed to ensure the FCC fulfills its mandate, causing financial harm—such as greening-related crop losses of $10,000-$50,000 per farmer annually (University of Florida IFAS, 2023).
Misuse of Grower Tax Funds (Florida Statutes Section 601.15)
Florida Statutes Section 601.15 mandates that the Department of Citrus use grower tax funds—known as the “box tax”—to “protect and enhance” the citrus industry, including supporting small farmers. For the 2022-2023 season, the tax was 5 cents for fresh oranges and 12 cents for processed oranges (WLRN, 2023). However, the state’s allocation of these funds heavily favors marketing over research, with only 17% of the 2023 budget going to research despite greening’s devastating impact. This disproportionate spending may constitute a misuse of public funds, as small farmers, who pay the tax, receive little direct benefit.
The governor’s budget proposals exacerbate this issue. While DeSantis allocated $20 million for citrus research in 2025-2026, this amount is a fraction of the $200 million proposed by the Senate (CBS Miami, 2025), and much of it supports marketing initiatives that benefit large processors like Tropicana. This failure to prioritize small farmers’ needs may violate Section 601.15, as the state is not using tax funds to “protect” the industry equitably. Small farmers could seek legal recourse, arguing that this misuse has caused financial harm, such as forced land sales due to lack of support.
Transparency Violations: Sunshine Law (Florida Statutes Section 286.011)
The Florida Citrus Commission, and Department of Citrus, as state entities, are subject to Florida’s Sunshine Law (Section 286.011), which requires public access to government meetings to ensure transparency in how public funds are spent. Public records show that in 2023, the FCC and Department of Citrus held closed-door budget meetings, limiting grower input (public records). A 2019 Florida Auditor General investigation flagged the Department for transparency issues, noting its lack of public engagement violated grower rights to participate in budgeting decisions (Florida Auditor General, 2019).
Governor DeSantis, as the overseer of these entities through his appointees, bears responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Sunshine Law. His administration’s failure to enforce transparency may constitute a violation, as small farmers have no say in how their tax dollars are allocated, exacerbating the state’s neglect. This lack of access could be grounds for legal action, with small farmers arguing it contributed to their financial harm by preventing advocacy for their needs.
Neglect of Emergency Powers (Florida Statutes Section 252.36)
Florida Statutes Section 252.36 grants the governor emergency powers to respond to agricultural crises, including the authority to allocate funds and waive regulations to aid recovery. DeSantis has used these powers in the past—his 2022 Executive Order 22-27 waived hours of service and size/weight restrictions for vehicles transporting agricultural commodities after a January freeze (Florida Daily, 2022). However, his response to the ongoing citrus crisis has been inadequate. Despite the industry’s 90% production drop and greening’s toll, DeSantis has not declared a state of emergency specifically for citrus farmers, nor has he used his powers to redirect significant funds or resources to combat greening.
This failure to act decisively may violate the spirit of Section 252.36, which empowers the governor to mitigate emergencies impacting critical industries. Small farmers, facing losses of $10,000-$50,000 annually, could argue that the governor’s inaction has worsened their plight, potentially making the state liable for damages due to neglect.
Florida’s Role: Complicity or Incompetence?
While DeSantis has made some efforts to support citrus farmers—such as the $340 million Irma recovery grants and $20 million in his 2025-2026 budget—his administration’s priorities often favor large agribusiness over small farmers. His appointees to the FCC, like Martinez and Poulton, represent corporate interests, skewing policies toward marketing rather than research (FL Gov, 2022). His fiscal conservatism, while saving taxpayers money, limits funding for critical research, as seen in the stark contrast between his $20 million proposal and the Senate’s $200 million suggestion (CBS Miami, 2025).
The state’s broader policies also exacerbate small farmers’ struggles. DeSantis’ focus on development—Florida saw 2.7 million new businesses formed since 2019 (Florida Vets, 2025)—has fueled population growth, increasing land pressure in citrus regions like Polk County (Yahoo News, 2025). Senate Agriculture Chairman Keith Truenow noted on February 5, 2025, that property assessments for citrus groves are often inflated, forcing farmers to pay “three or four times or five times the rate just to hold on to their property” (CBS Miami, 2025). This state-level policy failure, under DeSantis’ watch, pushes small farmers to sell their land, contributing to their demise.
Nikki Fried, who served as Agriculture Commissioner from 2019 to 2023, criticized DeSantis’ approach: “Going after the people who are putting food on our plate is outrageous as a governor whose economy relies on agriculture” (POLITICO, 2025). Fried’s feud with DeSantis highlights a deeper issue: the state’s lack of focus on agriculture. DeSantis’ exclusion of Fried from his 2020 Reopen Florida Task Force, instead appointing egg farmer Wilton Simpson, was seen as a slight to agriculture’s broader needs (POLITICO, 2020). This political infighting has left small citrus farmers caught in the crossfire, with insufficient state support to survive.
Is the Governor Responsible? A Damning Verdict
While DeSantis is not solely responsible for the citrus industry’s decline—greening and natural disasters play major roles—his administration’s policies and inaction have significantly contributed to small farmers’ struggles. The state’s failure to allocate adequate research funding, enforce transparency, and address development pressures has left small farmers vulnerable. Potential violations of Florida Statutes Sections 601.04, 601.15, 286.011, and 252.36 underscore the state’s neglect, making a compelling case that the governor and state are complicit in the demise of small citrus farmers.
Small farmers like Trevor Murphy are fighting for survival, but the state’s priorities—favoring big ag and fiscal conservatism over targeted support—may seal their fate. As production hits historic lows, the question remains: will DeSantis act to save small farmers, or will Florida’s citrus legacy become a relic of the past?
Sources:
Associated Press. (2025, March 13). Hit by storms and disease, Florida's citrus growers try to survive until bug-free trees arrive.
Florida Phoenix. (2019). Citrus industry, ‘decimated’ by greening, clings to hope, Simpson says.
Yahoo News. (2025, March 26). Florida’s orange industry is decaying — here’s how it could impact your wallet.
CBS Miami. (2025, February 5). Florida's struggling citrus industry asks for help from state lawmakers.
University of Florida IFAS. (2023). Economic Impacts of Citrus Greening.
Florida Daily. (2019, June 13). Ron DeSantis: FDEM Has Approved More than $77 Million for Citrus Farmers Hurt by Hurricane Irma.
Florida Daily. (2022, February 4). Ron DeSantis Issues Executive Order to Help Florida Farmers After January Freeze.
FL Gov. (2021, April 28). Governor Signs Right to Farm Bill Following Overwhelming Legislative Support.
FL Gov. (2022, August 4). Governor Ron DeSantis Reappoints Nine to the Florida Citrus Commission.
Florida Vets. (2025, February 2). Governor Announces Focus on Fiscal Responsibility 2025-2026 Budget.
POLITICO. (2020, June 10). DeSantis riles Florida’s biggest industry amid partisan feud.
POLITICO. (2025, February 6). Facing fire from DeSantis, agriculture says it doesn’t rely on undocumented foreign workers.
WLRN. (2023, May 8). The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted.
Florida Auditor General. (2018). Florida Department of Citrus Operational Audit.
Florida Auditor General. (2019). Florida Department of Citrus Transparency Review.
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2022). Citrus Production Data.
Florida Statutes Section 601.04 (2023). Florida Legislature.
Florida Statutes Section 601.15 (2023). Florida Legislature.
Florida Statutes Section 286.011 (2023). Florida Legislature.
Florida Statutes Section 252.36 (2023). Florida Legislature.
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to helping small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
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