By Frank Giles One of the many ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant supply-chain disruptions that have impacted the global economy. Agriculture has not been immune to these delays in shipping and availability of key tools growers need to produce crops. At the same time, prices are going up nearly across the board on products and inputs …
South Carolina Introduces Card for Agricultural Sales Tax Exemptions
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Department of Revenue announced the South Carolina Agricultural Tax Exemption (SCATE) card. It is a handy way for farmers to show they are eligible for certain state Sales Tax exemptions. For many years, farmers have had to fill out a paper form, the ST-8F, to receive Sales Tax …
Emergency Declared for Florida Post-Freeze Harvest
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Feb. 2 issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in many counties where citrus and other agricultural commodities were affected by a Jan. 28–30 freeze. It specifically gives state officials authority to relax restrictions on commercial vehicles to facilitate an emergency harvest. “The relaxation of the restrictions on commercial vehicles is necessary to …
Truck Driver Industry Expert: Stop Stealing Each Other’s Drivers
By Clint Thompson The ongoing truck driver shortage is not a problem that will be solved overnight. What can help, though, is that companies stop stealing each other’s drivers, says Tra Williams, owner and president of Fleetforce Truck Driving School in Winter Haven, Florida. “Stealing each other’s drivers is not solving this problem. The longer you focus on saying, ‘I’ve …
Growers Discuss Priorities for 2023 Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill is set to expire in 2023, so preparations are underway to craft the behemoth legislation into law sometime next year. However, it is common for negotiations to extend into the following year. Whether the new farm bill is passed in 2023 or 2024, there’s a lot of work ahead. The farm bill was the focus of …
Georgia Ag Forecast on Friday, Jan. 28
University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension reminds specialty crop producers that this year’s Georgia Ag Forecast meeting will be held on Friday, Jan. 28 at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The meeting will be held just one day this year and will include the latest economic projections for the U.S. and state agriculture to inform farmers …
Florida Farmer: We’ve Diversified, That Helps
By Clint Thompson Rising input costs. Accelerated imports. Little if any increase in market prices. It has become increasingly more difficult for Florida’s specialty crop producers to find sustained success. Vegetable farmer Marie Bedner credits diversification for Bedner Farms staying as successful as long as it has. “We’ve diversified and have the three retail stores, which that helps. We’re direct …
Fertilizer Price Spike Highest Since Great Recession
During January’s Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia, Daniel Tregeagle, an Extension economist with North Carolina State University, gave a presentation on economic and regulatory trends impacting citrus and specialty crop growers. MODEST MARKET GROWTHThe biggest blip on the proverbial economic radar has been COVID-19 and its continuing effects. Tregeagle noted these impacts mostly will be transient, …
Alabama Extension Mobile County Fruit, Vegetable Growers Meeting Set for Jan. 27
By Clint Thompson Alabama Extension reminds specialty crop producers that the Mobile County Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association annual meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 27 at the Jon Archer Ag Center in Mobile, Alabama. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preregistration is required by calling the Mobile County Extension Office at 251-574-8445. Jacob …
Few Slots Remain Open for Executive Farm Management Program
By Frank Giles The Executive Farm Management program, offered by North Carolina (N.C.) State Extension, Clemson Cooperative Extension, East Carolina University College of Business and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Blake Brown, an Extension economist with N.C. State, said there’s still time to sign up for the program. Interested growers should act …