The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces details of the 97th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, which will be held virtually on Feb. 18-19, 2021. The 2021 Forum, themed “Building on Innovation: A Pathway to Resilience,” will focus on the central role science and innovation have played in helping the agricultural sector overcome challenges and build resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. …
USITC to Investigate Effect of Imports on the U.S. Cucumber and Squash Industries
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is seeking input for two new general factfinding investigations on the effects of imported cucumbers and imported squashes on the U.S. seasonal cucumber and squash markets. The investigations, Cucumbers: Effect of Imports on U.S. Seasonal Markets, with a Focus on the U.S. Southeast, and Squash: Effect of Imports on U.S. Seasonal Markets, with a …
Georgia Blueberry Commission to Receive Nominations
The Georgia Blueberry Commission is taking nominations for a person to fill the unexpired term of Russ Goodman. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2021. If interested, a person must be a grower of blueberries in Georgia and must be willing to commit to meetings and activities of the Blueberry Commission. The term will end the Summer of 2023. …
USDA Establishes Weekly Report to Highlight Seasonable, Perishable Product Trends
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a new data report, the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement Seasonal Perishable Products Weekly Update, prepared in close partnership with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce). The weekly report is based on data provided by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) …
Students Awarded Campus Sustainability Grants
By Josh Paine, UGA CAES News A University of Georgia student-led project hopes to produce fruitful results with an edible landscape near Lake Herrick. One of 13 annual Campus Sustainability Grants recently awarded to UGA students by the Office of Sustainability, the UGA Edible Landscape Project —led by College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) student Abbie Dillon — will …
UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Virtual Workshop available Jan. 11
By Brad Buck The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Program is launching a virtual workshop with research and program updates, available online beginning Jan. 11 for $40. The workshop consists of a collection of pre-recorded lectures and prepared documents available for on-demand viewing. In addition to the virtual delivery, there are opportunities to engage with experts from UF/IFAS. As the two-year …
ITC Hearing a Story of David vs. Goliath
One agricultural lobbyist believes next Tuesday’s hearing with the International Trade Commission (ITC) regarding blueberry imports is a “story of David and Goliath.” Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C., believes the American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) has a strong case to make to the ITC against the …
USDA Provides More Than $70 Million to Protect Agriculture and Natural Resources from Plant Pests and Diseases
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $70 million to support 383 projects under the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, threat mitigation, to safeguard the nursery production system and to respond to plant pest emergencies. Universities, states, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, and …
Alabama Irrigation Questionnaires Due Jan. 31
The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries (ADAI) continues to encourage producers who performed agriculture irrigation upgrades in the 2020 calendar year to complete the required irrigation questionnaire. While ADAI is responsible for collecting completed irrigation questionnaires from producers seeking a tax credit in 2020, the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) will issue any irrigation tax credits to eligible applicants. …
Clay Models Track the Activity of Beneficial Insects in Turfgrass
By Allison Fortner for CAES News Modeling clay isn’t limited to art classrooms and sculpting studios. University of Georgia researchers developed a tool to track beneficial insects in turfgrass systems using clay models. Tracking these good predators can help develop eco-friendly pest management techniques for both home lawns and commercial sod growers. In a recently published article in Entomologia Experimentalis …