Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) disaster designation for 17 counties and 10 contiguous counties impacted by the freezing temperatures that occurred in late January. View the USDA’s approval letter here. “With the approval of our request for a disaster declaration, farmers in Florida have resources available to them …
Georgia Apple Growers Vote to Continue Apple Commission Assessments
Earlier this year, Georgia apple producers voted to continue the Georgia Apple Commission Marketing Order for an additional three years. The new marketing order will allow the assessment rate to be changed from the current two cents per marketed bushel to a range of two to four cents per marketed bushel. The final rate will be established by the five …
Florida Funding: Legislature Provides Boost for UF/IFAS Research
By Clint Thompson The Florida state legislature’s funding for research being conducted at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will continue to help specialty crop producers remain sustainable. The highlight was the $8.7 million devoted to the nutrient application rate for citrus, corn, green beans, tomatoes and potatoes with the intent of adding additional crops. John …
Georgia Wine, Grape Producers Fail to Approve Marketing Order
Georgia wine producers voted against implementing a marketing order that would have created an assessment on all taxable wine produced by licensed Georgia wineries. Of the 58% of the eligible growers that voted between February 8 and March 9, only 38% voted in favor of the marketing order. The order would have allowed the Georgia Wine & Grape Commission to …
What’s Happening: Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide crop updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Weekly Field Update Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Starting with strawberries, spider mites are increasing in the area with eggs and adults warranting treatment. Strawberry crops are very susceptible to mite damage at the moment. Remember …
N.C. State Extension to Host Produce Safety Field Days
North Carolina State Extension will host two produce safety field days in April. One will be held at the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Faison on April 6. The other will be held at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River on April 13. Both programs are free and will be held from 10 a.m. to …
Commissioner Fried Statement on USDA Approval of Disaster Declaration
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s request on Monday for a Secretarial disaster declaration for dozens of counties impacted by freezing temperatures in late January. “We are grateful to Secretary (Tom) Vilsack and the Biden Administration for granting our request for a USDA disaster declaration after record lows at the end of January caused …
New Florida Blueberry Varieties on Display during Field Tour
By Frank Giles The University of Florida (UF) blueberry breeding team hosted a farm tour last week to showcase commercially available and varieties in development at stops in Arcadia and Dade City. Doug Phillips, blueberry Extension coordinator for UF, said the tour evaluated two production systems. “We visited a farm down in Arcadia for the morning stop on our Blueberry …
Mite-y Big Concern: Mites a Problem for South Florida Producers
Mites are widely present in crops across the South Florida region, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Spider mites have increased in cucurbits, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes around Southwest Florida. Some fields have even required treatments by farmers. Spider mite populations are also high in some cucumber, pepper, tomato and eggplant in fields on the east …
CP Shutdown Another Potential Blow to Agriculture
By Clint Thompson The ongoing labor dispute that shut down the Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway on Sunday could have a ripple effect down to the specialty crop sector in the Southeast. Andrew Walmsley, senior director for congressional relations at American Farm Bureau Federation, said the shutdown means approximately 140,000 barrels of oil are not being shipped out daily. Fertilizer shipments, …