Agricultural Overview: Sugarcane, Rice, and Sod in Palm Beach County

• •Sugarcane is planted on approximately 440,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA).
• •The Florida sugar industry employs over 14,000 people with an annual income over $800 million and a total economic value of over $2 billion.
• •Florida produces about 50% of the cane sugar in the U.S., accounting for 20% of all sugar consumed in the country.
• •80% of Florida sugarcane is grown on muck soils, while 20% is grown on sand.
• •Rice production in the EAA is often used to reduce soil pests and improve soil drainage for future sugarcane crops.
• •Florida rice can be harvested twice in one season due to the long growing season, a process known as a ratoon-crop.
• •Approximately 14,000 acres of sod are currently grown in Palm Beach County.
• •Sod grown in the EAA is considered less expensive to ship due to the low bulk density of the muck soils.

This information outlines the economic scale of local agriculture, which supports over 14,000 jobs and generates over $2 billion in total economic value for the region.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.