Washington, D.C. — The Republic of India announced a major 70% cut to tariffs on U.S. pecan exports. It is a win for Georgia’s producers. Sen. Jon Ossoff heard about the concerns during engagements last year with Georgia producers in Tift and Turner counties. At the farmers’ request, Ossoff has worked behind the scenes for months with U.S. trade negotiators and Indian government …
USDA gives $72.9M in Specialty Crop Block Grants
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $72.9 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to fund innovative projects designed to support the expanding specialty crop sector and explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting applications for the grant program until May …
North Carolina Strawberry Plants Recovering Following Christmas Freeze
By Clint Thompson North Carolina’s strawberry plants incurred some damage during the Christmas freeze event. Fortunately for growers like Austin Wrenn, the consecutive days of sub-freezing temperatures did not happen later in the production season. “We’re lucky that cold front came through in December and not March. We would be in a very different situation if that had happened,” said …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide Tom Bilbo reports, “If you grow strawberries then hopefully the question of the week last week was easy, and that it encourages you to scout your fields! The translucent spheres were two-spotted spider …
Grower Associations Gearing Up for Farm Bill
By Clint Thompson What the future of agriculture looks like could be shaped by how discussions materialize this year in preparation for the 2023 farm bill. The farm bill’s passage will have lasting ramifications for Southeast specialty crop producers who hope to remain sustainable for the foreseeable future. For one specialty crop organization, the bill’s inclusion or exclusion of language …
Target Spot Disease Increasing in South Florida Tomatoes
Target spot disease is increasing in tomatoes in southwest Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. The disease has reached moderate to high levels in multiple fields. The disease is also reported to be observed at a high incidence rate in Homestead, Florida. Producers should be wary that target spot is frequently misdiagnosed and can be confused …
New Thrips Species a Wait and See Approach for Georgia Producers
By Clint Thompson A new thrips species is wreaking havoc on pepper plants in Florida. Its impact in Georgia remains an unknown. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable specialist, discussed Thrips (T.) parvispinus during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January “It’s going to be a wait and see. It’s like Thrips palmi when it showed …
Sneak Peek: February 2023 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine
The February issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine highlights various topics impacting one of the most important sectors in agriculture. Everything from the upcoming Farm Bill, to the recently passed omnibus bill, to blueberry production, to the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference are covered in this month’s issue. The fruit and vegetable conference returned to Savannah in January and …
Guidance Provided on Use of ReMedium TI
Trunk injection of the oxytetracycline hydrochloride formulation ReMedium TI for HLB treatment was given final clearance Jan. 11. The product began moving into the Florida citrus industry that same day. Consequently, the product’s manufacturer and the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation both issued reminders and recommendations about the product’s use. Manufacturer TJ BioTech, LLC suggested the following things for growers …
Alabama Fruit Still Lagging Behind in Chill Hours
By Clint Thompson The Christmas freeze and mid-January freeze events provided much needed chill hours for Alabama’s fruit tree crops. But commodities like peaches are still lagging behind last year’s totals, says Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University. “(Chill hours) are up a little, but they’re actually behind where we …