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By Clint Thompson The One Big Beautiful Bill is a one big beautiful win for specialty crops. Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), highlighted the recently passed legislation, which will impact fruit and vegetable growers across the Southeast. “I think there are some very good provisions included in the bill for important initiatives, …
By Clint Thompson The next three months are expected to be wetter than normal. Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist, noted in the UGA Climate Blog that NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicts the July-September period to be wetter than usual. “The rain that’s predicted to occur this summer is probably predicated on having an active tropical season,” …
By Clint Thompson The termination of the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement is set to become effective on Monday, July 14. While Florida growers and Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, have been at the center of the fight that Mexico has been ‘dumping’ imported tomatoes, it’s important to note the problem is widespread, impacting most of …
(Washington, D.C.) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced this week the next pillar of her Make Agriculture Great Again initiative: USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan. This historic plan elevates American agriculture as a key element of …
By Clint Thompson The potential lack of satsuma mandarins in the cold-hardy citrus region this season should not prompt growers to stay sidelined when managing their groves. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and member of the Georgia Citrus Commission, implores producers to remain vigilant in their management strategies despite the grim outlook for the region’s main …
By Clint Thompson A North Florida Extension agent was inducted into the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Hall of Fame last week. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, became the fourth Extension agent and 78th overall to be inducted into the NACAA Hall of …
By Frank Giles The 2018 farm bill expired in September 2023. Since that time, the old legislation has been extended twice, which is now in effect until September 2025. In the meantime, various spending measures have been added to help tide American agriculture over. But a new farm bill is needed to provide future agricultural policy direction and to help …
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced this week that producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). To expedite the implementation of SDRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering assistance in two stages. …
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide Tom Bilbo (Extension Entomologist) Coastal Region Anna Sara Hill Pee Dee Brittney King
By Clint Thompson Persistent rainfall has led to certain diseases being more prevalent in peaches in the Southeast this year. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist, emphasized that bacterial spot has been most concerning, especially in susceptible varieties. “We’ve had more bacterial spot on varieties that are susceptible to it than we’d like to see,” Brannen …
