Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee, announced Thursday that he has introduced the bipartisan CITRUS Act, a bill developed with grower input that will help expedite the delivery of the economic assistance needed in the short-term to save the U.S. domestic citrus industry.
Joined by Rep. David Valadao, R-California, and Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, the CITRUS Act authorizes critical citrus greening disease research programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and improves growers’ access to a program that incentivizes the replanting of healthy trees in ravaged or abandoned groves.
Rooney’s sprawling district extends from Venice and Port Charlotte to Okeechobee and Moore Haven, and includes a slice of Manatee County.
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