Thanks to larger crops in two Southeast states, U.S. peach production this season rose 5 percent. Rod Bain has the details.
Labor Issues in the Specialty Crop Industry
By Zhengfei Guan Florida is a large supplier of fruits and vegetables in the United States. Major fruits and vegetables produced in Florida include citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupes, watermelons, etc. The production and harvest of these crops are labor intensive. For example, University of Florida researchers estimate that harvesting 1 acre of oranges requires 50 hours. More than …
Community Surrounds Ag During Algae Debate
The green algae debate continues to rage on as misinformation and pointed fingers keep leading to agriculture as the culprit of the toxicity in the water. However, members of the community in the Glades area have banded behind agriculture and would like to start a different conversation: a conversation about solutions. In the midst of the ongoing algae debate, it …
Florida Candidates Address Agriculture
Farm Credit and Ag Communicators of Florida hosted a candidates’ forum on Oct. 4. Several candidates running for Florida offices in the upcoming general election shared their views with the agricultural community. AgNet Media’s Josh McGill attended the event and spoke with Lisa Lochridge, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association director of public affairs and board member of the Ag Communicators …
Florida and Georgia Renew ‘Water Wars’
Florida and Georgia have renewed their fight over the impact of Georgia’s water consumption on the Apalachicola River system. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that Florida be given another chance to prove its case that Georgia’s overconsumption of water is damaging the Apalachicola region, the states filed a joint legal pleading this week before a federal …
Support for House Trade Bill to Protect Florida Growers
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association wholeheartedly supports the Agriculture Trade Improvement Act of 2018 introduced by U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo (District 26) and Al Lawson Jr. (District 8) on Tuesday. The Agricultural Trade Improvement Act of 2018 would amend the Tariff Act of 1930 and allow American specialty crop growers to request the imposition of antidumping or countervailing duties. …
A Community Celebration for Upcoming Sugar Harvest
In the midst of an ongoing algae debate, it can be difficult to remember the community of people who live in the Glades area. These communities and families live and breathe agriculture. Below is a news release from Florida Crystals regarding the Pre-Harvest Celebration held this past Sunday. The account below shows the communal support for agriculture in that area. …
Perdue on Lack of Protection for Southeastern Specialty Crop Growers in USMCA
It was announced on Sept. 30 that the United States, Mexico and Canada reached a new deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The deal will be called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). NAFTA was a trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico that was made in 1994 under the Clinton administration. The idea for …
Political Event Falls Short on Facts
A recent southeast Florida algae rally drew a small crowd. By Gary Cooper U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (R-Palm City) hosted a campaign event in Stuart on Sunday and visited other South Florida areas in recent days. He partnered with anti-farming group BullSugar.org and featured activist Erin Brockovich to help push his recently introduced Stop Harmful Discharges Act in Congress. The …
Has Farming Become a Political Whipping Boy?
By Gary Cooper Urban expansion is impacting agriculture throughout the Southeast. Florida appears to be the first state in this region to dramatically shift to a much more urban-thinking electorate. In light of this year’s primary elections, there are some points Florida agriculturists should be thinking about. I know many of you have been pondering some of this already, based …