I hope he was right! Florida has much to lose if he is not.

Protecting our borders from invasive pests and diseases is a proper role for government. But assuring that FMD, BSE (“mad cow”) and countless other diseases are kept out of Florida is not an easy task. After all, our state boasts 17 major ports of entry and an enormous volume of international travel and trade.

With the FMD threat, the state and federal agencies have bolstered manpower and beagle power at airports to detect contraband meat products being brought in from countries where FMD has been detected. They are taking measures to disinfect clothing of individuals who have been on farms in those countries. But even these efforts may not be enough.

Florida Farm Bureau has long campaigned at the state and national levels to increase funding for exclusion and detection measures aimed at invasives. We have also called for increased funding to educate the general public about the dangers invasive pests and diseases pose to public health and the economy.

The fact is, an outbreak of FMD – or some other non-endemic disease – in Florida could stymie tourism as well as agriculture. It could cause widespread destruction of wildlife as well as domestic animals. It could knock a huge hole in our economy and severely damage Florida’s national image.

As I have said many times, Florida is a sentinel state – one of the states most vulnerable to invasives. The public agencies charged with controlling invasive pests and diseases are painfully aware of that fact as they go about the business of keeping the disease out and planning for a potential detection.

Florida Farm Bureau staff members are keeping in close touch with the officials within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the USDA as they work to assure FMD does not enter Florida or the United States. Those officials have invited Florida Farm Bureau and commodity organizations to participate in a contingency planning process, an exercise to assure readiness should a disease outbreak occur.

I am taking action to assure Florida Farm Bureau will be positioned to provide strong support for exclusion efforts – and for eradication efforts, should they become necessary.

In March, I appointed a staff committee to develop a contingency plan. This committee has established close working relationships with the government agencies charged with exclusion, detection and control.

I have also appointed key producers around the state to our newly formed Animal Disease Response Team. This is a network of individuals who have agreed to work at the local level, communicating as needed with other producers and, through their local media, with decision makers within their communities.

Later this month, we will hold regional briefings for these key individuals. We will offer background on FMD and BSE. We will equip them to communicate with fellow producers, media and others within their communities. In addition, we are developing a comprehensive crisis management plan aimed at non-endemic diseases and invasive species.

Just what will be Florida Farm Bureau’s role if and when a disease like FMD is detected in our state?

The USDA and Florida Department of Agriculture will take the lead, as they have in previous efforts involving Mediterranean fruit flies and citrus canker. The state and county Emergency Operations Centers will coordinate with local agencies and their public information officers will be the primary media spokespersons regarding the operation.

But experience tells us these agencies will need support from local producers. That is where Florida Farm Bureau comes in.

One of our roles will be to provide information to producers and to help inform a concerned public. We can do that because we have a statewide communications network in place.

Our Animal Disease Response Team will play a key role in assuring industry support for exclusion and eradication efforts and will help county Farm Bureaus rally support within their respective communities.

I recall how effective some of our county Farm Bureaus were in creating public understanding and support during the Medfly crisis in west-central Florida in the 1990s. Farm Bureau, in cooperation with other groups and agencies, sponsored community forums. Members made themselves available to reporters.

County Farm Bureaus also sponsored free car washes in areas where malation bait spray was being used. These activities demonstrated caring and good will on behalf of the agriculture industry, and provided an opportunity for face-to-face contact with the public.

Farm Bureau must stand ready to help our state in the event similar crises occur in the future.

Collectively, our statewide Animal Disease Response Team, crisis management plan and strong existing network of field representatives and county Farm Bureaus will be a powerful force in support of agriculture and the public good in a time of crisis. In the longer view, we will continue in our governmental relations efforts to increase funding to counter the threat posed by invasive pests and diseases.