WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s updates to the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) initiative, which included an additional $650 million investment. “Specialty crop growers across the U.S. are facing severe and unique challenges. As we wrote in December, the USDA’s MASC program …
Troxler Announces More Than $6.6 Million in Grants to N.C. Food Manufacturers, Processors
RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced the second round of awards from the North Carolina Agricultural Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI). These $6.6 million in awards focus on the expansion of current operations to use more North Carolina farm products and reduce costs and burdens for North Carolina farmers and growers. These six projects benefit peanut, rice, barley, and …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: New Ag Leadership Appointments
By Mike Joyner Shortly after President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, he met with the Republican leadership. When Republicans began to aggressively push back on his policies, he simply stated, “Elections have consequences … and I won.” President-elect Donald Trump won the election, and we expect there will be swift and aggressive change. The newly appointed members of Trump’s …
Drought Monitor Update: Conditions Vary in Southeast Region
Drought conditions continue to vary among states in the Southeast. Most of central and northern Alabama is experiencing dry conditions, while Florida is mostly dry. Georgia’s dry conditions continue to dissipate with most of the drought being observed in the southwest and southeast areas of the state. This is according to the most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. …
$21 Billion Disaster Relief Assistance ‘Will Be Beneficial’ to Farmers
By Clint Thompson Disaster relief assistance included in the American Relief Act, 2025, will not totally compensate for the losses specialty crop producers experienced this year related to hurricane damage. But the $21 billion set aside for farmers will help, especially those in the Southeast that suffered through Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. Bob Redding, who works for the Redding …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Heat Mitigation Plans Protect Farms, Workers
By Frank Giles This past summer, the Biden administration released a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to protect indoor and outdoor workers from excessive heat. The proposed rule would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. Among other things, the plan would require …
Watermelon Board Assessment Increase Approved
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) assessment increase after a 20-month process. As of Dec. 20, 2024, the final rule is in Public Inspection status, approving the new assessment rate for the NWPB; the total assessment of 9 cents per hundredweight versus the current 6 cents per hundredweight. The amount is split between …
UF/IFAS Research: Controlled-Release Fertilizers Protect Against Early Leaching
By Clint Thompson Controlled-release fertilizers remain an effective and efficient way for North Florida watermelon producers to prevent leaching, specifically during the first few weeks of the season. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, has researched the system’s effectiveness. He spoke about control-released fertilizers at this …
USDA Announces $300 Million in Additional RAPP Grants to Diversify Ag Export Markets
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the second round of Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants, which will allocate $300 million to 67 partners once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied, expanding American food and agricultural exports in emerging global markets. This latest investment brings total RAPP funding to $600 million in 2024. The new …
USDA Invests to Strengthen Farms; Increase Competition and Lower Costs
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the USDA is making domestic fertilizer production investments in nine states to increase competition, lower fertilizer costs for farmers and lower food costs for consumers. It includes Georgia. “When we invest in domestic supply chains, we drive down input costs and increase options for farmers,” Vilsack said. “Through today’s …


















