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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “economic”
Ever since Florida farmers have been producing tomatoes, they’ve picked them by hand or hired laborers. It’s painstaking work that might be made easier soon with machine-harvestable tomatoes developed by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers. Now that the varieties are available, growers in Florida’s $400 million-a-year industry hope they can use mechanized harvesting, but doubts …
Southeast strawberry growers continue to be threatened by fresh strawberry imports from other countries, mainly Mexico. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service Situation and Outlook Report, fresh strawberry import volume increased 4% in 2023, from 564 million pounds to 589 million pounds. It marked the fifth straight year that import volumes have increased. The nominal value of …
Blueberry import volumes dropped in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service Situation and Outlook Report. Fresh blueberry import volumes decreased 15%, down to 559 million pounds in 2023 from 657 million pounds in 2022. It marks the first decline in volumes since 2017. Import volumes in the latter half of last year were down 29% …
By Rob Gilbert The Science of Sustainability The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) provides the science of sustainability. For specialty crop growers, sustainability must mean profitability. Our innovations have to make economic sense. My predecessors as University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources have held this view for generations. I’m honored …
By Clint Thompson The lack of a farm bill is concerning for Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers. But at the forefront of their minds is the current labor situation, specifically the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, tied to the H-2A program. Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA), talked about the challenges his producers are …
Across the globe, people are increasingly turning to greenhouses and indoor vertical farms to grow commodities. The systems use far less land than conventional farms, reducing some environmental impacts, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers say. They also require less transportation to move the food to consumers, because they tend to be in or near urban …
There is no shortage of consumer appetite for avocados. Frequently incorporated into appetizers and desserts, avocado demand has surged in popularity. Meanwhile, production of avocado in the United States is under constant threat from diseases like Laurel wilt (LW) and Phytophthora root rot (PRR). They can devastate orchards if left unchecked. There is still much to learn about how growers …
By Maegan Beatty Competition for farmland has historically been a challenge. In places like Florida, this is especially acute as an influx of new residents puts pressure on available land for development. And in the push for green energy, green spaces are filling with huge solar farms. The University of Florida (UF) Center for Landscape Conservation Planning provides the Agriculture …
Eastern lubber grasshoppers are out in force throughout the Southeast, including some parts of Florida. They’re munching on landscape plants, citrus and vegetable crops, while gardeners and growers are trying to minimize the damage. These insects can be found from March to April to about October to November in North Florida and the state’s Gulf Coast. They can be economically …
AUBURN, Ala. – The number of farms in the U.S. operated by women has increased 27% in recent years. Yet, despite their growing number and influence, little is known about the needs of women in farming, the challenges they face and their economic impact on agriculture. A team of agricultural economists from the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station was awarded $650,000 …
