Elected for a four-year mandate that is limited to two consecutive terms of office, the commissioner of agriculture is charged with supporting and regulating Florida's agriculture industry, conserving soil and water resources, managing state forests, protecting consumers from unfair trade practices, and ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of food in the marketplace.

[3][4] The thirteenth[5] and current commissioner is Republican Wilton Simpson, who took office on January 3, 2023.

The newly renamed post also included supervision of state prisons until the Division of Corrections was established in 1957.

It eliminated a number of independent bureaus and boards while transferring their duties and responsibilities to divisions under the commissioner of agriculture.

[6] The Office of Consumer Services was established by the legislature in 1967 under the purview of the commissioner of agriculture.