IMMOKALEE, Fla. — Florida’s watermelon producers face two new viruses. But it is important to remember that finding a disease is the first step to managing it, says a University of Florida scientist who helped diagnose both diseases. “Now that it is known that there are additional (watermelon) viruses in the mix, efforts can be made to determine their impacts …
Florida Strawberry Producer: We Need to Maximize our Profitability
By Clint Thompson A productive 2020-21 strawberry season could entice Florida growers to increase acreage this year. That’s a concern, though, for fellow producer Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida; especially with input costs rising. “Hopefully, people don’t overplant themselves and flood the market. You know when farmers have a good year, they like to …
Results from Vegetable Chemical Use Survey
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the results of its 2020 Agricultural Chemical Use Survey of vegetable producers across the country. The data relates to pesticide use and pest management practices on 22 different vegetable crops. Producers in 18 states participated in the survey, which included eight-focused crops in Florida and eight in Georgia. The pesticide …
Commissioner Fried Comments on USDA Citrus Forecast
Tallahassee, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released updated projections[ ] for citrus production in the 2020-21 season on Thursday. The June forecast projects a 2% increase for Florida Oranges, a one million box increase to 52.7 million boxes, up from 51.7 million boxes in May. This includes a 3% increase in Florida Valencia Oranges. Florida Grapefruit production …
Florida Citrus Forecast Continues Improvement
Florida’s citrus forecast for the 2020-21 season continues to improve but lags behind the previous season. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Florida’s all orange forecast was at 52.7 million boxes 2.37 million tons. This is an improvement of 2% from the previous forecast but still a decrease of 22% from last year’s final utilization. Florida’s early, midseason and …
Minimum Changes: USDA Updates Citrus Crop Forecast
Reductions in the projected Florida grapefruit and tangerine/tangelo crops were the only changes in the May 12 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reduced Florida’s grapefruit crop projection by 2%, to 4.2 million boxes, down from 4.3 million boxes in April. The total 100,000-box reduction was in red grapefruit, which dipped to …
USDA 2020 Summary: Georgia Pecan Crop Yields 147.5 Million Pounds
The quantity was there to make Georgia’s 2020 pecan crop one of its best. However, the prices that farmers received per pound were well below average, as evidenced by the USDA Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2020 summary. Georgia produced 147.5 million pounds in 2020; more than double its output in 2019 (73 million) and in 2018 (70 million). The value …
Florida, Georgia Remain Two of Top Blueberry-Producing States
By Clint Thompson Two of the top blueberry-producing states remain Florida and Georgia. They continue to produce their share of blueberries, according to the USDA 2020 summary. Georgia was third in the country behind Washington and Michigan in harvested areas in 2020 with 16,000 acres, a decrease from 16,200 in 2019. Georgia also produced 4,640 pounds per acre. Florida produced …
Input Costs Rising for Vegetable Farmers
It comes as no surprise to farmers that input prices have increased in recent years. What may be eye-opening is how much expenses like fertilizer costs and gas prices are expected to go up this year. According to the USDA Vegetable and Pulses Outlook: April 2021, growers should expect to pay for most of the inputs required to produce, pack …
Watermelon Production Decreased in 2020
Prices were High Watermelon production in the United States decreased in 2020, while prices remained strong. According to the USDA Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook, domestic fresh-market watermelon production totaled 3,419.9 million pounds in 2020, which is a decrease of 4.4% from the previous season. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported that production in 2019 was 3,579.2 million …