The University of Florida (UF) and Rutgers University are teaming up to find out what food-safety issues are the biggest concerns across the produce industry. Members of the produce industry are invited to participate in an anonymous online survey that will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Michelle Danyluk said the survey …
Better Together: Why the 1935 Florida Citrus Commission Had it Right
Despite all of 2020’s obstacles, the citrus industry is alive and thriving.
New UF Blueberry App First Phase in Two-Part Project
A new University of Florida (UF) smartphone app will provide immediate help to the state’s blueberry producers who are gearing up for the upcoming season. It is the first phase of a two-part project that Patricio Munoz, the UF/IFAS blueberry breeder and an assistant professor of horticultural sciences, tackled in hopes of consolidating chunks of information into one place that …
Abnormally Dry Conditions Benefit Georgia Onion Producers Finishing Planting
Abnormally dry weather conditions for Southeast Georgia have benefited Vidalia onion farmers who are trying to plant this year’s crop, says Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension Area Onion Agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia. “Most growers are completely finished or they’re finishing up within this week or shortly thereafter. That’s a good thing …
Alabama Producers Watch Out for Alternaria Disease
Alternaria disease is alive and well in Alabama vegetables and needs to be monitored, especially as temperatures remain unseasonably mild this winter. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, said growers need to be vigilant in monitoring their crops. “Despite the temperature, disease is still an issue right now. Last week I saw some pretty impressive Alternaria on several brassicas,” Kemble …
Heat Brings Out Antioxidants, Increases Red in Tomatoes
December 17, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) Turn up the heat, and get more nutrition from your tomato, University of Florida researchers say. Furthermore, when you buy a tomato, it will be about as red as it can be, thanks to the UF/IFAS methods deployed for the study. The findings are crucial to an industry in which Florida …
Georgia Pecan Producers Nearing End to Harvest Season
According to the USDA Market News Service, Georgia pecan producers are about 90% finished with harvesting this year’s crop, while prices have improved some since last week. Amid the lack of export opportunities, many growers are continuing to store their top quality and larger sized pecans in hopes of selling for better prices at a later date. Holiday retail and …
Alabama Pecan Industry Forever Changed
Alabama pecan producers in Baldwin and Mobile Counties are still cleaning up debris left behind from Hurricane Sally more than three months ago. What many are not going to be doing, though, is replanting trees that were destroyed on Sept. 16, says Bryan Wilkins, Alabama Extension Research Associate. “The older guys, they told me they’re done. Some of them, they’re …
U.S. Blueberry Growers Form New Alliance to Seek Import Remedies
WASHINGTON, December 16, 2020 – Blueberry growers across America today established a new coalition, the American Blueberry Growers Alliance, to seek relief from rising imports that are harming their businesses. The Alliance will provide information and support to an ongoing U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into the serious injury caused by increased imports of fresh, chilled and frozen blueberries …
ACRE Entrepreneurs Bring Innovation to Agriculture
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE), in partnership with Clemson Cooperative Extension, has awarded seven beginning entrepreneurs a share of $30,000 to help propel their agriculture businesses forward. Sixteen individuals or pairs participated in this year’s ACRE Curriculum, which guides beginning entrepreneurs through developing a business plan, marketing, finance, operational planning, …