Colorado State University has released its annual Atlantic hurricane season outlook. According to the outlook, hurricane season activity will be above the 1991-2020 average. The 2022 season is projected to have nine hurricanes (7.2 is average), 19 named storms (average is 14.4), 90 named storm days (average is 69.4), 35 hurricane days (average is 27.0), four major (Category 3-4-5) hurricanes …
Potato Grower Provides Perspective to Water Debates
By Frank Giles The 2022 Florida legislative session had a lot to do with water rules and regulations. For the most part, the legislation that passed was favorable for agriculture and now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature. In a state of 21 million people, the number of people involved in and able to speak on behalf of agriculture is small. …
Survey Seeks Input on Florida Citrus Quality Problems
By Frank Giles John Chater joined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) in January as an assistant professor of horticultural sciences. His job also comes with a significant Extension component, which will allow him to work closely with growers. “Extension helps make the research conducted at the university worthwhile, because this is how that knowledge …
Citrus Prices Rise on Declining Production
Everyone is talking about inflated prices for just about everything. Citrus is among those items. Why? Because orange production is way down in Florida. HLB, fruit drop, poor quality and a freeze are all conspiring to keep prices rising. Total U.S. orange juice production in the current 2021–22 season is forecast at 286 million single-strength equivalent (SSE) gallons, the U.S. …
Blueberry Production in Florida
Florida’s blueberry production, harvest and shipping season is well under way. Doug Phillips, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) statewide blueberry Extension coordinator, discusses blueberry production in Florida. Q: In addition to Sentinel, what are some the latest blueberry varieties from UF/IFAS? What makes them interesting to the consumer? How about for the producer? A: …
PRVCGA: Florida Growers Score Wins During Legislative Session
By Frank Giles Members of Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association gathered in Arcadia last week for its annual meeting and dinner. Updates were provided on association business, orange juice marketing and citrus Extension activities. Matt Joyner, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, also gave an update on the 2022 state legislative session. He said the citrus industry scored …
USDA Seeks New Members to Serve on Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it intends to renew the charter of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC). It is also seeking nominations from specialty crop stakeholders to serve on the FVIAC. The deadline for nominations is May 31, 2022. USDA is set to reestablish the committee’s charter for two years as required by the Federal Advisory …
2022 Florida Women’s Leadership Conference Focused on Outreach
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) hosted more than 100 women from across the state for the 2022 Women’s Leadership Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Melbourne, March 24-26. The conference featured keynote speakers, an awards banquet, breakout sessions and farm tours. Keynote speakers included Lorenda Overman, vice-chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee; national speaker Betty …
Rep. LaMalfa: Budget, Hearings on Climate Change “Won’t Put Food on the Table”
Lawmakers are starting to work their way through President Biden’s budget proposal which was released earlier this week. Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) is a member of the House agriculture committee, as well as a farmer himself. He disagrees with what he sees as a focus on climate change rather than food production. AgNet Media’s Sabrina Halvorson spoke with LaMalfa to get his …
Biden’s 2023 Budget Proposal: Ag and Rural Funds
President Joe Biden unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, Monday. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the President’s budget provides USDA with “the tools needed to support a vibrant, revitalized, and prosperous rural America.” The budget includes more than $10 million for oversight and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act as well as money to support innovation in agriculture and …