Annual growing of agricultural crops, nonbearing fruit trees, nursery stock; taxability.

(1) Growing annual agricultural crops, nonbearing fruit trees, nursery stock, and aquacultural crops, regardless of the growing methods, shall be considered as having no ascertainable value and shall not be taxable until they have reached maturity or a stage of marketability and have passed from the hands of the producer or offered for sale. This section shall be construed liberally in favor of the taxpayer.

(2) Raw, annual, agricultural crops shall be considered to have no ascertainable value and shall not be taxable until such property is offered for sale to the consumer.

(3) Personal property leased or subleased by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and utilized in the inspection, grading, or classification of citrus fruit shall be deemed to have value for purposes of assessment for ad valorem property taxes no greater than its market value as salvage. It is the expressed intent of the Legislature that this subsection shall have retroactive application to December 31, 2003.