Department Of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida

The Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida, a U.S. state government entity operating as a child division of the State of Florida, functions as a prime recipient of federal grants and as a prime contractor on a single-award Indefinite Delivery Contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The agency delivers animal disease diagnostic testing, surveillance, and research services; plant pest and disease detection and mitigation; food safety inspection and laboratory testing; and forestry management and conservation across federal grant programs and cooperative agreements, with no federal contracts awarded under set-aside categories.

The Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida operates state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory facilities in Tallahassee and Ames, Iowa that form the core of its federal mission portfolio. On the contract side, the agency holds a $20 million Indefinite Delivery Contract with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services (established December 1, 2021, ultimate completion November 30, 2026) under which it delivers animal disease diagnostic testing services including classical swine fever, African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza, antimicrobial resistance susceptibility testing, and polymerase chain reaction diagnostics. Recent delivery orders include $6 thousand (June 2026) for National Animal Health Laboratory Network foreign animal disease testing, $60 thousand (August 2025) for avian influenza testing, and $313,476 (June 2024) for wildlife disease diagnostics. The agency also delivered a $1.486 million definitive contract to the Food and Drug Administration (September 2023) for human food inspections in Florida.

Federal grant work dominates the portfolio. The Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida receives formula and project grants from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for cooperative agricultural pest surveys, citrus health programs, fruit fly detection, invasive mollusk surveillance, biological control development, and animal disease traceability. Recent cooperative agreements include $8.895 million (May 2026) for Florida's Citrus Health Program covering disease surveillance, regulatory compliance, and biocontrol operations; $1.56 million (June 2026) for invasive mollusk surveillance and mitigation; and $1 million (May 2025) for enhanced fruit fly detection across 83,588 routine traps and 30,498 preventative release program traps. The Department receives substantial formula grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for child nutrition programs ($785.2 million for National School Lunch Program consolidated funding for October 2025–September 2026), emergency food assistance administration ($5.9 million for TEFAP Administrative Costs for October 2025–September 2027), and specialty crop block grants ($3.844 million, effective September 2025–September 2028, supporting 14 research and 2 marketing projects). The Department also administers grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA) for cooperative forestry assistance, forest health protection, wildfire prevention and hazard reduction, and post-hurricane disaster recovery, with recent awards including $7.602 million (August 2024) for consolidated cooperative forestry programs and $5.4 million (August 2025) for forest management across five integrated programs.

Customer concentration reflects the Department's role as Florida's primary state partner for federal agricultural health and food safety missions. The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (both Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services and Veterinary Services divisions) accounts for the largest share with 464 awards and $40.8 million combined potential value. The Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration funds food safety and laboratory testing work (19 awards, $9.4 million). The Department of Agriculture Forest Service R8-Southern Region provides the third-largest funding stream (83 awards, $36 thousand combined potential value) through forestry and conservation grants. Food and Nutrition Service programs (including National School Lunch Program, TEFAP, and child nutrition administration) comprise 178 awards across multiple sub-agencies. The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 funds endangered plant conservation initiatives ($106 thousand across 19 awards).

The single Indefinite Delivery Contract with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services (27 task orders, $1.4 million combined potential value) serves as the primary parent vehicle, with task orders issued as needed for specific diagnostic testing activities. Blanket Purchase Agreements and additional cooperative agreement vehicles support supplemental testing, survey, and surveillance work across plant and animal health programs.

Activity has remained relatively stable year-to-year, with 68 awards in 2022, 64 in 2023, 64 in 2024, and 72 in 2025. Sixty-one awards with ultimate completion dates in the next twenty-four months (combined potential value $1.6 million) face recompete timing. The agency's 1,131 total awards (96% as prime recipient or contractor, 4% as sub-recipient) reflect its embedded role within Florida's state government structure, with the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and other state agencies appearing frequently as prime grant recipients with the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida as sub-awardee. The Department distributes sub-awards to universities (University of Florida, University of Hawaii, Florida State University, University of Central Florida), non-profit organizations (Farm Share, Inc., Feeding South Florida, food banks), and municipalities to implement specialized research, field operations, and service delivery across citrus health, forest management, emergency food assistance, and invasive species control initiatives.