Sugarcane production forecasts are up 1% from last month and 13% from last year, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Production is projected at 36.0 million tons. Producers intend to harvest 948,800 acres for sugar and seed during the 2020 crop year, which is a 1% increase from the previous forecast and a 4% jump from last year. …
States See Changes in U.S. Citrus Forecast
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) dropped another 2 million boxes from the January forecast for Florida’s orange crop but added 200,000 boxes to the state’s grapefruit projection. ORANGESFlorida’s total orange crop is now forecast at 54 million boxes, down 4 percent from 56 million boxes in December. The orange reduction was in the non-Valencia …
U.S. Horticulture Operations Report $13.8 Billion in Sales
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2020 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The data show that horticulture operations sold a total of $13.8 billion in floriculture, nursery and …
Safe Food Production Training to be Available to Florida’s Small and Beginning Farmers
November 19, 2020 By: Ruth Borger, 517-803-7631, rborger@ufl.edu LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — A new opportunity for Florida’s small and medium-sized produce farmers will become a reality with the support of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) grant designed to produce and provide easy-to-access training in safe food production methods to underserved farmers. Faculty from the University …
Agricultural Acres Down Significantly Over Last 100 Years
Agricultural acres have dropped dramatically over the last 100 years throughout the Southeast. According to stacker.com, Georgia and Alabama were two of the top four states to see their farm land decrease the most. Based on numbers from the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, Alabama, ranked No. 4 in decreased acres, had 256,099 farms in 1920 …
Coming Soon: White Strawberries From the Wild
By Seonghee Lee and Vance M. Whitaker The University of Florida will soon commercialize a new strawberry variety. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it is already drawing attention for a very unusual characteristic. When it is ripe and ready to eat, it is white inside and out, with a slight pink blush on the exterior and red seeds. …
USDA to Issue First Pecan Forecast for 2020
ATHENS, GA – During the last week of September, pecan growers will receive a survey from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Information from this survey will be used to forecast pecan production for 2020. “The pecan industry is an important part of U.S. agriculture, especially in southern states and it is crucial for us to …
UF/IFAS Scientists Develop a Specialty Pepper With Better Resistance to Root-Knot Nematodes
By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu Bell peppers make for a delicious snack. Among additional choices, you can add them to sandwiches and pizzas, as they’re tasty and full of vitamin C, making them a popular vegetable. As a $235 million-a-year business in Florida, bell peppers are also an important crop, especially in the southeast and southwest parts of the state. As …
Florida Orange Production and Latest U.S. Estimates
The nation’s orange production season is winding down and Florida’s production is almost finished. Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued its June forecast, which showed a decrease in the Florida citrus crop. Rod Bain has a story looking at the production estimates for the crop nearing the final totals for the marketing year. Click …
In COVID-19 Era, UF/IFAS Research Adapts
By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu As Florida moved to “safer at home” measures, not all work could be put on pause. When it came to University of Florida research, many UF/IFAS projects could not wait. There are living plants, animals and insects to feed and maintain; some projects have regular monitoring procedures for which postponement could have broader environmental consequences. …