The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) encourages its producers to share their experiences with the H-2A program with the Agricultural Labor Working Group. The U.S. House Agriculture Committee established a bi-partisan committee that focuses on workforce issues faced by the country’s farmers. The Ag Labor Working Group is requesting input from growers via survey. Georgia is one of …
USDA Targets Transgenics Against HLB
Matthew Mattia recently provided an overview of work at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) transgenic test site in Fort Pierce. Transgenic refers to an organism that contains genetic material into which DNA from an unrelated organism has been artificially introduced. Scientists at the Picos Farm screen transgenics for suppression of citrus Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacteria that causes …
Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo is a Hit in Tampa
By Frank Giles The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo ventured into new territory this year — literally. After three decades at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, this year’s event was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. There were several factors forcing the move, including damage to the Lee Civic Center from Hurricane Ian. With a new …
Georgia Ag Commissioner: Agriculture Took Pretty Significant Hit During Idalia
By Clint Thompson It did not take long for Georgia Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper to determine the impact Hurricane Idalia had on his state’s No. 1 industry, especially the pecan crop. His group was in Southeast Georgia the day after the storm moved through the region on Aug. 30. They surveyed damage and spoke with farmers impacted by the natural …
UF/IFAS Encourages Florida Growers to Share Hurricane Impacts
Hurricane Idalia made landfall the morning of Aug. 30 near Keaton Beach, Florida, but the Category 3 storm’s northeastern route brought rain and high winds to coastal regions along the western peninsula and inland agricultural counties. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) uses surveys after natural disasters, seeking information on …
Survey Says: Florida Producers Encouraged to Share Hurricane Idalia Impacts
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Hurricane Idalia made landfall the morning of Aug. 30 near Keaton Beach, Florida, but the Category 3 storm’s northeastern route brought rain and high winds to coastal regions along the western peninsula and inland agricultural counties. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) uses surveys after natural disasters, …
FFVA Supports Aldicarb Registration
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of the proposed federal registration of aldicarb on Florida oranges and grapefruit. “Prior to the business-strategy decision by the previous registrant to voluntarily remove aldicarb from the market in 2010, this insecticide was considered a cornerstone of immediate and long-term sustainable production for citrus …
USDA Survey to Help Forecast 2023 Pecan Crop
Pecan producers in Georgia, Alabama and other producing states will receive a survey in the mail in late September from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Information generated from the survey will help forecast pecan production for the upcoming season. “The pecan industry is an important part of U.S. agriculture, especially in Georgia, and it is …
USDA Announces September 2023 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for September 2023, which became effective Sept. 1, 2023. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help farmers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs. Operating, Ownership and Emergency Loans FSA offers farm ownership …
Strawberry Grower in Plant City Survives Idalia with Minimal Damage
By Clint Thompson Matt Parke’s anxiousness paid off this summer in preparing for the upcoming strawberry planting season. Instead of waiting to apply plastic, the farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida, decided to apply it early. Since that part of the state avoided the brunt of Hurricane Idalia last week, the move paid off and all the …