By Frank Giles The Supreme Court of the United States has made some consequential judgements during its latest term. Among them on the last day of June, was its ruling on the case — West Virginia vs. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The case has been watched closely by many industries, including agriculture, because it took up the question of the …
Reps. Franklin, Soto Request EPA to Reconsider Ban of Thiram Fungicide
WASHINGTON — Representatives Scott Franklin (FL-15) and Darren Soto (FL-09) sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on May 20 urging reconsideration of a ban on the usage of Thiram, an important fungicide used in the cultivation of strawberries. A ban of Thiram would be devastating to the strawberry production, according to industry experts. In December, the EPA proposed …
Florida Agriculture Department Gears up for Summer Nutrition Program
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried is announcing the continued partnership between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide summertime meals for Florida’s school children. The Summer BreakSpot Program provides meals at no cost to children 18 and under while schools are closed for the summer. …
North Carolina Strawberry Producers Be Prepared for Cold Temperatures
North Carolina (N.C.) State Extension reminds strawberry growers that while temperatures will be cold this weekend, not all need to apply row covers to their crop. Dormant plants that are acclimated to colder weather usually do fine without protection even when temperatures are in the teens. Plants that are in an advanced crop status, however, could be damaged at higher …
Looming Deadline: EPA Ban of Chlorpyrifos Will Impact Peach Production
By Clint Thompson The looming deadline for revocation of tolerances for the use of chlorpyrifos (lorsban) means peach tree producers have a little more than two months to find alternatives in managing two pests. According to Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the ban of chlorpyrifos will impact growers differently …
Department of Labor Issues Proposed Rule Modifying Methodology for Setting AEWR
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on its proposal to modify the methodology used to determine the hourly Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the H-2A program. The proposed changes will better enable the department to meet its statutory mandate to ensure the employment of H-2A workers will …
Chlorpyrifos Controversy: Thompson, Boozman Address EPA in Letter
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), Republican Leader of the House Committee on Agriculture, and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Republian Leader of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, are leading a bicameral effort calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rescind its decision to revoke all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos and ensure its future actions related …
COVID-19: U.S. Department of Labor Issues Temporary Standard to Protect Workers
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a new emergency temporary standard to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of the coronavirus on the job. Under this standard, covered employers must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to choose to either …
AFBF Disappointed in EPA Revoking All Tolerances for Chlorpyrifos
By Clint Thompson Count the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) among those organizations disappointed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA’s) ruling that revokes all tolerances for chlorpyrifos. The popular pesticide, also known as lorsban, is used in vegetable and specialty crop production like peaches, onions and sweet potatoes. Without chlorpyrifos’ availability, growers are left with less effective alternative products. Limited …
Growers Beware: Strawberry Producers Be Prepared for Chilli Thrips
By Clint Thompson It is not a question of if chilli thrips will be a problem for Florida strawberry growers this year but when will they be? According to Sriyanka Lahiri, UF/IFAS Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, producers can expect to see infestations early in the season, not long after plants …