Experiencing the Flavors of Florida

Web AdminFlorida, Produce, Top Posts

Every year, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) welcomes agriculture industry leaders to the UF campus in Gainesville to experience Flavors of Florida. The annual event took place on April 11 in the Champions Club overlooking Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The event kicked off with some short comments from Jack Payne, UF/IFAS senior vice president, …

Mexican Imports Exceed Florida Production

Web AdminStrawberry, Top Posts

By Ernie Neff A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences economist says U.S. imports of large amounts of Mexican fruits and vegetables create “a huge challenge for the (Florida) industry.” Zhengfei Guan addressed this topic at the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference in Wimauma on Feb. 26. Guan works at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, …

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Florida Strawberries Face Devastation with No Protection from Unfair Trade

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release, Legislative, Strawberry, Top Posts, USMCA

WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) fails to provide effective near-term relief measures for Southeast fruit and vegetable producers. Florida is the nation’s largest producer of fresh strawberries during the winter months; however, central Mexico’s strawberry production increased fivefold from 2000 to 2017. “This exponential increase presents a clear and present danger to the sustainability of the Florida strawberry …

Florida Growers Facing Blueberry Challenges

Web AdminBerries, Pollinators, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Citrus root weevil is relatively new to blueberries, but is becoming more of a prevalent issue for some Central Florida growers. Citrus root weevil typically occurs on old citrus ground that has been plowed under for blueberry production. Doug Phillips, blueberry Extension coordinator for the University of Florida (UF), has been trying to identify some controls against …

Gibberllic Acid Tested on Southern Highbush Blueberries

Web AdminBerries, Fruit, Research, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Gibberellic acid (GA) is a plant growth regulator that is used to increase fruit size and quality. Researchers know that it works on rabbiteye blueberries recovering from freeze damage when flower parts were injured and weren’t able to be pollinated. Juanita Popenoe is a multi-county fruit production agent for the University of Florida for Marion, Orange and …

Improving Mechanical Harvesting of Fresh-Market Blueberries

Web AdminBerries, Labor, Technology, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Fumiomi Takeda The growth of the blueberry industry in the past three decades has been remarkably robust. For the blueberry industry to remain competitive and sustainable, growers are seeking solutions to ever-increasing problems with labor shortages and rising labor costs for harvesting blueberries by hand. More growers are now using over-the-row (OTR) mechanical harvesters to pick blueberries for the …

Senators Take Aim at Unfair Trade Practices Hurting Florida Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Web AdminFruit, Industry News Release, Trade, Vegetables

U.S. Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat unfair trade practices. The bill comes amid long-standing and increasing complaints from Florida farmers that Mexican growers illegally flood the U.S. market with subsidized produce during the winter season. Florida is one of the few places in the country that can …

Making Headway Toward Machine Harvesting of Blueberries

Web AdminBerries, Research, Technology, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Doug Phillips With rising costs and declining availability of harvesting labor, blueberry growers are increasingly interested in considering machine harvesting for their crops. Cost is a particularly important factor because of declining profit margins due to competition from lower-cost areas of production. PROS AND CONS Hand harvesting produces high-quality fruit, but can cost between $0.70/pound and $0.90/pound for local …

Florida Native Plants — Tomorrow’s Fruits and Vegetables?

Web AdminProduce, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Kevin M. Folta Citrus originated in Southeast Asia, not Southeast of Orlando. Strawberries came from a chance genetic mix between a plant from the Mid-Atlantic States and a plant from Chile that crossed in France. Tomatoes originated in the Andes Mountains in South America, then made their way to Europe before coming back across the Atlantic to North America. …

Blueberry Growers from Florida, Georgia Support NAFTA Renegotiations

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release, NAFTA, Top Posts, Trade

The Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) and the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA) teamed up to write a letter about the need for modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Blueberries, among other specialty crops, from Florida and Georgia have been facing heavy competition from Mexican imports, making it difficult to keep up with their production. Renegotiation of …