(NABC) — The U.S. House has introduced a resolution recognizing the history and accomplishments of the U.S. highbush blueberry industry and seeking to declare July as National Blueberry Month. Congressmen Fred Upton (R-MI) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA) are sponsors of the resolution, deemed Resolution 882 in the House. The resolution points out that highbush blueberries have a harvested area estimated …
E-Verify Divides Republican Leaders as Florida Legislative Session Starts
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push for a politically charged immigration proposal has begun to expose a clash between Republicans as this year’s legislative session starts. The governor kicked off the session Tuesday by reminding lawmakers about one of his top priorities: a proposed mandate for all Florida employers to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check new hires …
Growers and Representatives Meet in Immokalee
By Ernie Neff State representatives Byron Donalds and Bob Rommel met with citrus and vegetable growers at a Dec. 16 discussion in Immokalee about local agricultural issues. The event was hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Donalds said he wants to be sure IFAS recommendations, on which …
Florida Eyes Washington on Hemp Rules
Florida farmers might not be held back from planting hemp next year, even if the federal government has not signed off on long-awaited rule changes. Holly Bell, Florida’s director of cannabis, told the Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday that, if all goes well, the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ permitting for hemp could be available to farmers by …
Congressman Yoho Introduces Ag Guest Worker Bill
As labor continues to be a top-priority issue for producers nationwide, Congressman Ted Yoho is aiming to lessen worries of a labor shortage by introducing a new ag guest worker bill. He discussed this new bill in a recent exclusive interview with AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor. According to Yoho, the bill shies away from immigration and focuses solely on ensuring …
Potential Impacts of the USMCA on Florida and Georgia
By Karla Arboleda Two individual reports from the University of Florida (UF) and University of Georgia (UGA) say that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could lead to economic losses in both Florida and Georgia, respectively, if it is ratified by Congress. The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been ratified in Mexico, and the United States …
New Proposal Makes H-2A More User Friendly
The H-2A program is set to be revamped. President Trump recently announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) will start the modernization process for the H-2A guest worker program. The DOL published a formal rule change, stating “it should streamline and simplify the H-2A application process, strengthen protections for U.S. and foreign workers, and ease unnecessary burdens on employers.” DOL announced on …
Hemp Pesticides Get Approved in South Carolina
By Karla Arboleda Hemp growers in South Carolina received a list of pesticides permitted for use on their crops. Earlier this month, the Department of Pesticide Regulation approved a list of pesticides from section 25(b) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act administered through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Steve Cole, director for regulatory public service programs for Clemson …
New Tool to Navigate the H-2A Program
Navigating the H-2A program can be confusing and cumbersome. But, thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), growers applying to the program now have a new tool in the form of an interactive H-2A checklist. According to Kaveh Sadeghzadeh, deputy director of communications for USDA farm production and conservation, “The H-2A checklist tool is the first phase of an …
2019 Legislative Sessions Wrap-Up
The 2019 legislative sessions in Florida, Georgia and Alabama have officially ended. Each year, agriculture advocates from all three states work tirelessly to fight for their industry. This article serves as a summary of how agriculture fared in the Florida, Georgia and Alabama sessions. Florida: Some Success, but More Work to Be Done By Adam Basford Going into the 2019 …