By Clint Thompson Florida’s sweet corn producers are feeling the pinch of various factors affecting consumer demand this season; most notably, the inflationary prices and colder spring weather up north. Both contributed to suppressed prices for the state’s growers, says Tori Rumenik, commodity service and supply chain manager for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. “Our product goes to retail. …
Specialty Crop Farmer: Make Sure You have Orderly Marketing
By Clint Thompson One Florida specialty crop industry leader believes there has been no letup in the spike in input costs. That’s why Aaron Troyer, Florida potato farmer and chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, insists growers ensure that what is being grown matches the demand for it. “Make sure your budget is in order and make sure …
Specialty Crop Farmer: Make Sure You Have Orderly Marketing
By Clint Thompson One Florida specialty crop industry leader believes there has been no letup in the spike in input costs. That’s why Aaron Troyer, Florida potato farmer and chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, insists growers ensure that what is being grown matches the demand for it. “Make sure your budget is in order and make sure …
New Death Tax Would Squeeze the Life Out of Florida Citrus Growers
No industry is more synonymous with the great state of Florida than the citrus industry. Florida’s citrus growers, packers, and processors contribute more than $6.762 billion to our state’s economy, and we support more than 33,000 jobs. We have endured countless hurricanes, droughts, pests, and diseases, and we continue in the fight of our lives against citrus greening. But there …
Track the Journey From Citrus Seed To Growing Success
The Florida Citrus Research Foundation (FCRF) provides oversight and support for the A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm near Leesburg. The foundation and farm were initiated in 1959 as a means of supporting the Florida citrus industry through citrus field research, trial plantings, and cropping new citru ]]>
Supply-Chain Woes Continue for Specialty Crop Growers
By Frank Giles One of the many ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant supply-chain disruptions that have impacted the global economy. Agriculture has not been immune to these delays in shipping and availability of key tools growers need to produce crops. At the same time, prices are going up nearly across the board on products and inputs …
EU Ban of Pesticides Could Impact U.S. Growers
By Frank Giles Mike Aerts, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s vice president of science and regulatory affairs, recently shared an update from the European Union (EU) that could impact maximum residue limits (MRLs) allowed in the 27-member-country body. MRLs govern the amount of allowable pesticide residue on a food product in order to enter a country. Because the EU has …
Labor Crisis: Farmers Need to Vocalize Concerns for Reform to Occur
By Clint Thompson Southeast producers who have concerns over the proposed Farm Workforce Modernization Act are encouraged to voice their displeasure to members of Congress. It is the only way real change can be made with the current Ag labor system, says Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, …
Political Divide: Politics Slowing Farm Workforce Modernization Act Progress
By Clint Thompson A Senate resolution to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is much needed for the future of vegetable and specialty crop farming in Florida. There’s just no guarantee that one will be developed in the near future. Politics are playing a role in the process being slowed, almost to a halt, says Mike Joyner, Florida Fruit and Vegetable …
Florida Ag Expo to Highlight Artificial Intelligence
By Clint Thompson A focal point of research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will be highlighted during the Florida Ag Expo on Nov. 18. Nathan Boyd, associate center director of the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and professor of horticulture and weed science, believes artificial intelligence (AI) to be the future …