The USDA announced today that blueberry growers are now eligible for Category 1 Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments. Based on the USDA’s original assessment of the impact of coronavirus on the industry, blueberries were eligible only for Categories 2 and 3 for CFAP relief payments. USDA’s original market analysis had determined that blueberries did not demonstrate a 5% decline …
Pierce’s Disease Training
By Clint Thompson In his latest UGA Extension Viticulture blog, University of Georgia Extension Fruit Disease Specialist Phil Brannen says grape producers will soon be seeing symptoms of Pierce’s disease in susceptible varieties; typically Vitis vinifera and some hybrids. Mild winter temperatures have contributed to an increase in Pierce’s disease at higher elevations in Georgia and throughout the Southeast. Symptoms …
GFVA Executive Director: It Was a Pretty Good Season
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s fruit and vegetable growers had their share of obstacles this growing season but emerged mostly unscathed with a productive season, according to Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association (GFVA). He credits alternative marketing outlets for helping products get sold in a timely fashion. “Because of the Food Box program that the …
Watermelon Shortage? One Farmer Thinks So
By Clint Thompson Watermelon producers continue to enjoy high prices, though, there may soon be a shortage. Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association, said there may soon be a shortage as producers in the Southeast region finish harvesting their crop, while the northern states are still not …
N.C. Mountain State Fair Canceled for 2020
FLETCHER – As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of conditions come September, the N.C. Mountain State Fair will not be held in 2020. The fair was scheduled to take place Sept. 11 through 20. “I would like nothing better than to not be making this announcement today,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The Western N.C. …
Georgia Hemp Up and Growing
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s hemp crop is still being planted across the state. According to Tim Coolong, associate professor in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the recent rainfall could impact the crop both positively and negatively. “Hemp doesn’t like it overly wet. In parts of the state, if there’s standing water in fields or if it’s saturated, …
Thinning Pecan Trees Better Equips Producers For Future
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is encouraging pecan growers to thin their bumper crop this summer to avoid having a down year next season. Southeast Georgia Area Pecan Agent Andrew Sawyer said this year’s pecan crop exceeds the 70% fruit-bearing terminals they recommend pecan trees to have at this stage in the growing season, along with having …
Georgia Growers Renew Pecan Assessment
Georgia Department of Agriculture ATLANTA- Georgia pecan growers voted to continue an assessment of one cent per pound of pecans by producers with more than 30 acres for an additional three years — 83.5% of eligible ballots returned were in favor of the assessment. The Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Pecans, also known as, the Georgia Pecan Commission was established …
UF/IFAS Scientists Develop a Specialty Pepper With Better Resistance to Root-Knot Nematodes
By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu Bell peppers make for a delicious snack. Among additional choices, you can add them to sandwiches and pizzas, as they’re tasty and full of vitamin C, making them a popular vegetable. As a $235 million-a-year business in Florida, bell peppers are also an important crop, especially in the southeast and southwest parts of the state. As …
Picking Varieties With Profit Potential
By Gene McAvoy Choosing which variety to plant is one of the most critical decisions that a commercial grower must make each season. Variety selection is a dynamic process. In the past, some varieties retained favor for many years. More recently, with advances in plant breeding and the incorporation of new and improved traits for disease resistance and other horticultural …