GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As University of Florida economists cross the halfway point in their surveys of Florida’s agriculture and marine industries related to the impacts of COVID-19, initial reports indicate that impacts vary widely across industry types in terms of business closure rates, operations changes, and impacts to sales revenues and employment. In one of the five surveys of the …
UF Researchers Find Promising New Treatment in Fight to Beat Citrus Greening
By: Ruth Borger, (517) 803-7631, rborger@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have discovered another possible solution to the plague of citrus greening that is impacting Florida’s citrus groves. This new information adds to the growing portfolio of knowledge that UF scientists are amassing to fight the disease. Led by UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences microbiology and …
USDA Report Yields Results for 2019 noncitrus/nuts season
By Clint Thompson The United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service released its findings for noncitrus fruits and nuts in the Southern Region for the 2019 crop year. These estimates were based on grower surveys. Avocados: Florida’s production of avocados was up 88% from 2018. Its value of production was up 54%. Yields rebounded in 2019. Utilized production …
Georgia’s Ag Industry Launches ‘Now More Than Ever, Buy Georgia Grown’ Campaign
ATLANTA, GA– To help mitigate potential losses due to the COVID-19 response, Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program has joined with partners from Georgia Farm Bureau, University of Georgia Extension Service and Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association to promote Georgia Grown produce through retail and direct-to-consumer channels. Georgia’s spring fruit and vegetable harvest has an estimated farm gate value …
UF/IFAS Scientists Help National Team Breed Better Pomegranates
By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu BALM, Fla. — You can enjoy pomegranates in myriad ways. You can toss them in salads, sprinkle their seeds on yogurt or oatmeal or add them to smoothies. When you consume pomegranates, you’ll savor their sweet and sour flavor. You may be drawn not only to their taste, but perhaps to their nutritional value. They contain …
UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project: Progress and Plans
By Lourdes Rodriguez Just past the midpoint of a pilot project to study if industrial hemp grows well in Florida, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are already looking ahead to see what more they can learn. The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project team of scientists is engaged in a two-year research project started with hemp plantings in the spring of 2019. A report on the project’s findings will go …
Produce Industry Responds to Accusations
Several produce organizations, including the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Florida Tomato Exchange, issued a letter to legislative leaders in defense of accusations regarding the treatment of farm workers, amid COVID-19. The letter was sent to Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House; Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader; …
UF/IFAS Names Angle New Vice President of Agriculture
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida has named J. Scott Angle, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to lead the university’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) into the next decade. He is expected to assume the role as vice president for agriculture and natural resources on July 13. Angle will …
USDA Announces Additional Food Purchase Plans
(Washington, D.C., May 4, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today details of $470 million in Section 32 food purchases to occur in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, in addition to purchases previously announced, which will enable USDA to purchase surplus food for distribution to communities nationwide. These Section 32 purchases will provide additional support …
Clemson Extension, SCDA Schedule Two Remote Grower Trainings
Clemson Extension and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) have scheduled two Produce Safety Rule Grower Trainings. They will be provided remotely for growers in May. They will be held over two days; May 19 and 20, and during May 27 and 28. The in-person training in Sumter on June 23 has been canceled. If these trainings are successful, …