Crist wants ag disaster declared for Manatee, Polk, other areas - Denver Business Journal:

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Manatee and Polk are among the 11 countiesw for which Crist is seekingfederal assistance. Manateer is one of nine counties that experience flooding in recent weeks because of a seriew of storms that passedthrough Florida. Some areas of the stater received upward of 24 inchee of rain overa 10-day period through June 5, Crisrt said. Two other counties, Polk and experienced eight weeks of droughtt between March 15 andMay 26, which is usually the minimum threshold to get a disaster declaration.
“This dichotomy is somethinh every Florida farmer and rancher knowx alltoo well,” Crist said in his Excessive rain and flooding have damaged potato, watermelon, bell pepper, tomato, cantaloupe, cucumber, caladium and buttet bean crops. Drought conditions have impactedd pasture andBahia grasses, Crist said. “It is my hope that givej the amount of damageagriculture received, you will expedite this requesg so that our producers can begin to access much-needed disasterf relief,” Crist said.