FFVA President Discusses USMCA, Importance of TRQs

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson and Josh McGill An interview with AgNet Media allowed Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) President Mike Joyner to discuss multiple issues impacting his farmers. One of those topics was the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The U.S. declined to extend the USMCA amid the governments’ scheduled review on July 1, 2026. Needed Changes Joyner outlined some of …

Map of North America highlighting Canada, United States, and Mexico with trade flow arrows

Blueberry Farmer Discusses USMCA, Mexico

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Ryan Atwood may be one blueberry farmer in Florida, but he speaks for many Southeast specialty crop growers who believe change needed to be made to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). That change could be on the way. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer issued a statement on July 1 that indicated the United States did not agree to …

USMCA

FFVA Advocating for TRQs in USMCA

Clint ThompsonUncategorized

By Clint Thompson A joint review of the USMCA is a little more than two months away. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) is hopeful that timely assistance be provided for its specialty crop growers. FFVA President Mike Joyner spoke during the recent University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. He highlighted how …

Sneak Peek: March 2026 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine

Clint ThompsonFlorida

In this month’s sneak peek, the March issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights the recent deep freeze event in January and February that devastated various fruits and vegetables in Florida. Freezing temperatures caused significant damage to specialty crops across the state. Those crops included citrus, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, green beans and watermelons. Florida Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced preliminary …

Attention Blueberry Producers: Repeated Insecticide Sprays Needed Against Chilli Thrips

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Georgia blueberry producers have viable insecticide options to protect their crop against chilli thrips. They just has to be applied more than once, says Ash Sial, University of Georgia (UGA) entomologist. “We do have some (options) but they need to be repeated because of the way these chilli thrips, their life cycles work. It’s really hard to …

Chilli Thrips Update for Georgia Blueberry Producers

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The fear of the unknown is what makes chilli thrips a dangerous threat to Georgia blueberries. Chilli thrips were first confirmed in Georgia four years ago and have been observed in multiple counties since then, though Ash Sial, University of Georgia (UGA) entomologist, believes the list of counties is much larger. Sial highlighted chilli thrips and their …

Excitement, Innovation Set for 2026 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson It is the holiday season which means the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference is just around the corner. Next year’s conference, which attracts producers and industry specialists from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the Carolinas, will be held in Savannah, Georgia, on Jan. 8-10, 2026. Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers …

Wish Farms Celebrates Chuck Hollenkamp’s 40-Year Career and Lifetime Achievement Award

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Plant City, FL – Chuck Hollenkamp, Wish Farms Director of Strawberry Grower Relations, was honored with the Florida Strawberry Growers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual gala. This prestigious recognition celebrated Hollenkamp’s four decades of leadership and dedication to the Florida strawberry industry. “Chuck’s ability to build lasting relationships and his steady leadership have been instrumental to our success,” …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Global Blueberry Production Challenges Domestic Market

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Uncategorized

By Frank Giles The global blueberry market has been evolving over the past 20 years. The fruit has grown in popularity with consumers worldwide. This is a good thing, but it has presented challenges for growers in the Southeast as increased production across the globe competes to supply the demand. Zhengfei Guan, associate professor of economics with the University of …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Mastering Hydrogen Cyanamide Applications in Blueberry

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Ryan Atwood In Florida, the use of Dormex (hydrogen cyanamide) on deciduous crops has long been a staple for producers. This plant growth regulator is valuable because it stimulates more uniform bud break in deciduous plants. Uniform bud break is most effective in plants that have received their full chill hour requirement — or even slightly less than full …