PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG\/WECP) -Two new agricultural inspection sites are under construction in Jackson County.<\/p>\n
One is at the Alabama border on Highway 231, and another is off Highway 2 at the Georgia border.<\/p>\n
The new facilities will require trucks to stop before entering Florida, according to the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. State officials say these inspections ensure the safety of Florida\u2019s food supply by identifying unsafe food and detecting plant and animal pests and diseases that could harm Florida\u2019s agricultural industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of production Ag here,\u201d said Jeffery Pittman, the president of the Jackson County Farm Bureau, \u201cclose to 100,000 acres of traditional row crops, so there is a need to make sure that we have a safe product for the general public.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the new stations have raised a few questions about agricultural law enforcement in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of concern in regards to having livestock in compliance with the rules and regulations, there\u2019s also a lot of questions in regards to the products that we produce here,\u201d said Pittman, \u201cthe commodities; peanuts, cotton, and a lot of these products are transported across state lines, and that\u2019s where the questions really come into play.\u201d<\/p>\n
To answer those questions, the Jackson County Agriculture Coalition and the Jackson County Sheriff\u2019s Office held a public meeting with Florida Department of Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and his staff on Monday.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, residents raised various concerns to the Agriculture Commissioner, such as transporting livestock, crops, and how the new stations will affect their day-to-day operations. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think tonight was a really good evening for the commissioner and for the general public,\u201d said Pittman. \u201cThere are a lot of legitimate questions. I think the questions went on for 40 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The stations are set to be operational by the end of the year. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson says the stations will protect Floridians at the northern border.<\/p>\n
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