Oranges, tomatoes, dairy products, eggs, and beef cattle contribute over 

 75% of Southwest Florida's agricultural income. Other commodities may be im- 

 portant to a county but not necessarily to the region. Less important agri- 

 cultural products are celery, cucumbers, peppers, squash, lettuce, field peas, 

 hogs, bees, and honey. 



Cucumbers. The production of cucumbers in Florida was 4.8 million 

 bushels in 1979, up 8% from 1978. About 80% was marketed fresh and 20% was 

 processed. About 15,700 acres were under cultivation for cucumbers. South- 

 west Florida accounted for 35% (6,500 acres) of the State's cucumber acreage, 

 and about 34% of the State's total production of 1.6 million bushels. Cucum- 

 ber production yielded the region $13.2 million in cash receipts. 



Green Peppers. Southwest Florida, with only four counties reporting 

 (Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, and Lee Counties), accounted for about 48% 

 of the State's total acreage and production of green peppers in 1979. In 

 1974-79, the acreage in Southwest Florida increased 49% (13,400 acres in 1974 

 to 8,510 acres in 1979), bringing about $24 million in revenue to area farm- 

 ers. 



There are many other agricultural products grown in the region, but de- 

 tailed information on either a county or regional basis is not available. 



AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS AND POLICIES 



Major problems in Southwest Florida are conflicts among land use, water 

 use, environmental protection, rising energy demands and costs, and competi- 

 tion for markets. 



LAND USE 



Most apparent to Florida's farmers is the "disappearance" of agricultural 

 lands. The Florida House of Representative's Committee on Agriculture has 

 prepared a report on this issue entitled "Agricultural Lands in Florida" 

 (1981b). That report begins with the observation that Florida's agricultural 

 lands are slowly being converted to other land uses. Agricultural land is 

 used for new homes, schools, shopping centers, airports, industrial parks, 

 recreational areas, and other uses associated with a growing urban population 

 and phosphate mining. The report contends that Florida, as one of the fastest 

 growing states, will continue to put an inordinate demand for "new" land. 

 Some of the loss of prime and unique farmlands is irreplaceable, a focal point 

 of the Committee's argument for the retention of agricultural land. To combat 

 this loss, the Committee recommended more comprehensive land use plans, exten- 

 sive soil surveys and mapping, elimination of any State project that might 

 have serious adverse impact on farm lands, and the monitoring of local land 

 use alteration or development. 



The Committee's report does not identify economic reasons why the trend 

 in agricultural land loss is necessarily undesirable, unproductive, or 

 socially unacceptable. Recently there has been much discussion and concern 

 over the disappearance of farm land because of its impact on future genera- 



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