The National Potato Council and state grower organizations wrote Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue recently to talk about potatoes that have nowhere to go for processing. The Hagstrom Report says the council noted more than “1.5 billion pounds of fresh potatoes for processing and potato products are trapped in the supply chain with no likely customers.” Mountains of potatoes were being …
Blueberry Industry Leaders Hoping for Category 1 Status
By Clint Thompson Blueberry industry leaders were disappointed its farmers were not included in category 1 of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. They hope to rectify the situation during the 30-day comment period that the USDA has allowed for feedback. “Where we landed with the direct payment program, obviously we learned (two weeks ago), it was disappointing because the one …
Pest Alert: Mummy Berry Disease in Blueberries
Posted by Elina Coneva and Ed Sikora (Alabama Extension) Current wet and cooler than normal conditions are conducive for mummy berry disease in blueberry, according to Alabama Extension. Mummy berry disease is caused by the fungus Monilinia vacciniicorymbosi and is an important fungal disease of blueberries that can cause yield losses of up to 50% when conditions are favorable for disease …
UGA Economist: Submit Your CFAP Application Sooner Rather Than Later
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Ag economist Adam Rabinowitz encourages farmers to submit applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) sooner rather than later. The application process for CFAP started this week. The program provides relief to American farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. When details of CFAP were announced, the first guideline for …
New Charitable Effort Will Help South Carolina Farmers Amid COVID-19
South Carolina Department of Agriculture COLUMBIA – The nonprofit South Carolina Advocates for Agriculture will buy food from South Carolina farmers and distribute it to local food banks as part of a new charitable effort to ease COVID-19 strains on the food system. Certified South Carolina and South Carolina Advocates for Agriculture are partnering on Farmers to Food Banks, an …
Persistent Rains in South Carolina Cuts Short Strawberry Season for Some Growers
By Clint Thompson Excessive rainfall in South Carolina has cut short strawberry season for parts of the state, says Bruce McLean, Clemson (S.C.) Extension area commercial horticulture agent for Dillon County, Horry County, Marion County and Malboro County in the Pee Dee Region. “Last week, in certain spots was just torrential rains,” McLean said. “A lot of the fruit that …
Diversification Key for Nutsedge Control in Vegetable Fields
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed specialist Stanley Culpepper encourages vegetable growers to diversify their management programs against nutsedge. This protects against potential resistance and provides adequate control. “In general, I would say with our guys, I’m not overly concerned because our fields with our most nutsedge, they get fumigation, they get tillage and they get herbicides,” …
Sneak Peek: June 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Policies and regulations can impact a farmer’s ability to make a living. The 2020 Florida, Georgia and Alabama legislative sessions have officially wrapped up, and the June issue of VSCNews magazine will tell readers how agriculture fared in each state. Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, discusses the successes and progress that …
Connecting the Watermelon Industry with Retail and Foodservice Buyers
Winter Springs, FL — May 20, 2020 – The new National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) Watermelon Supplier Database is the perfect platform to connect retail and foodservice buyers with suppliers as the summer season takes off for America’s favorite melon. Each year the NWPB staff promotes watermelon to retail and foodservice audiences, both in person and digitally. When a contact …
CFAP Includes Specialty Crops
Details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) were announced this week. It’s a program that will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to this direct support, USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program is partnering with regional and local distributors to purchase …