South Central

The South Central region’s economy is driven, in large part, by its traditional agricultural and food processing industries, a sector that accounts for nearly a quarter of the state’s annual $6.6 billion farm product industry. Composed of largely rural, inland counties, this heartland region is leading the way in agricultural land preservation — under threat from rapid urbanization — by utilizing AI and cutting-edge technologies to produce more food on smaller plots of land.

 

For more than a century the South Central region’s economy has been driven largely by its sprawling agricultural and food processing industries.

Composed of the largely rural, inland counties of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and Okeechobee, this heartland region’s annual agricultural output exceeds $1.5 billion, accounting for nearly a quarter of the state’s annual $6.6 billion production.

While the South Central’s ties to its traditional agricultural economy remain strong, times are changing rapidly.

One of the world’s oldest industries — agriculture — is actively embracing one of the newest — artificial intelligence.

This intriguing evolution of the region’s agricultural industry, highlighted by its increasing use of advance technologies, is rapidly becoming a significant element of growers’ business plans, says Keitha Daniels, director of Hendry County’s Economic Development Council.

“A lot of our newer agriculture companies are coming in to Hendry and embracing new technologies and AI to produce more food on smaller plots of land,” says Daniels. “We’re seeing this new wave of technology coming into play along with this sustained effort to preserve agricultural lands.”

Land Preservation

Another change within the region’s agricultural landscape is the effort to preserve land for farming and ward off urbanization that’s gobbling up much of Florida’s rural land.

Daniels says that is becoming increasingly important as the state’s orange groves decline and those once highly productive lands are taken over by housing developments.

“We have a very strong agricultural base in Hardee County,” says Krystin Chapman, communications and marketing director for the Development Group, an organization that promotes the county’s economic growth.

“Hardee County is investing in and helping nurture the growth of value-added agricultural sectors that offer workers full-time jobs, not just seasonal job opportunities,” she adds.

Indeed, food manufacturers remain among the largest employers in each of the six counties.

Industry Diversification

While agriculture and food manufacturing continue to form the backbone of the region’s economy, EDC leaders are redoubling their efforts to diversify industries and launch workforce training programs to meet specific job needs in a variety of new and traditional industries.

Local leaders see promising growth opportunities in tourism, and especially ecotourism, along with logistics, supply chain and distribution industries.

Strong sectors gaining traction in the six-county region include construction, health care and retail.

Competition / Incentives

Competition from Southeastern states has spurred a host of new initiatives among South Central’s counties.

Those initiatives include temporary waivers of impact fees, workforce development investments, infrastructure and site development grants, ad valorem tax incentives and tax increment financing.

Another encouraging trend among the region’s cities and counties is the significant capital investments underway in downtown revitalization that include restoration of historic buildings, home ownership and creation of more space for retail and light manufacturing.

“We’ve been so focused on job creation and manufacturing in the past that now we realize we have to create a place where our companies and their leaders want to live if we want to continue to attract new business and recruit talent,” says Chapman.