Washington, DC — The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce released a report today outlining the Trump Administration’s plan to address the threat posed by increased foreign imports to American producers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables. The plan follows public hearings held in August where more than 60 witnesses …
Clemson Extension to Hold Virtual Strawberry Meeting
Clemson Extension will host a virtual strawberry production meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. The Strawberry Grower 101 meeting will be geared towards new or beginning growers. Topics to be covered included cost and economics, timeline, plant selection and varieties available and fertility. Those interested can click here to register. All Clemson University sponsored in-person events have been …
Tomato Industry Expert: Inspections Running Smoothly
Though Mexican exports of tomatoes have not reached the ‘peak’ season, inspections appear to be running smoothly and efficiently, says Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange. The inspection provision, which was part of the Tomato Suspension Agreement established in September, 2019 between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato exporters, allows for the United States …
Sneak Peek: September 2020 VSCNews Magazine
The September issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information about breeding updates and new varieties. Readers can see what’s new in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cucurbits. Breeding new varieties is a vital component to push agriculture forward. The University of Florida (UF) is a leader in the breeding industry. Recently, blackberries have emerged as an alternative crop in Florida. …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provided updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Zack Snipes reports, “We had between 4-6 inches of rain last week with daily thunderstorms. Growers are working the fields, getting ready for the fall crops to go in. If it happens to rain on Wednesday …
Supplemental Fumigation Strategies for Tomato Production
By G.E. Vallad, J. Desaeger, J. Noling and N. Boyd Vegetable and strawberry growers have long relied on soil fumigants to contend with various soilborne pathogen and pest complexes, as part of an integrated management strategy that includes crop resistance, cultural control and pesticides. However, with the loss of methyl bromide (MBr), many growers have struggled to maintain consistent soilborne …
Planting Season Nears for Vidalia Onion Growers
Vidalia onion plants will soon be going in the ground across Southeast Georgia. Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension Area Onion Agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, pinpoints the week of Sept. 7 that some growers will start planting this year’s crop with most planting the week after. “After Labor Day, definitely there will …
Tomato Growers Watch Out for Insects
Tomato planting is currently underway across the Southeast. It is never too early to start thinking about insect pests that could hinder fall production in Alabama. According to the Tomato Insect Pests 101 video, Ayanava Majumdar, Auburn Extension Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology, cautions growers to scout their tomato fields every week for pests and look for insects over …
Florida Setting the Bar for Hemp Programs
By Tacy Callies Holly Bell, director of cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), gave an update on Florida’s hemp program as part of the Citrus Expo virtual general session. “Florida is becoming the leader in the country — if not the world —on how we’re getting our hemp program rolled out and the standards that …
H-2A Applications Processed Effectively in Timely Manner Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Third quarter data from the Department of Labor (DOL) shows H-2A applications were processed effectively and in a timely manner even during the early onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Veronica Nigh, economist with American Farm Bureau. “With as much transition as there was for just the physical staff up here in D.C. and DOL, going from working in …