U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after the U.S Department of Commerce rejected a request to exempt certain greenhouse-grown specialty tomatoes in Mexico from the 2019 U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement. This agreement was put in place to provide relief to domestic tomato growers against unfair trade practices. Exempting specialty tomatoes grown in Mexico from the Tomato Suspension Agreement …
Decision Protects Florida Tomato Growers
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after the U.S Department of Commerce rejected a request to exempt certain greenhouse-grown specialty tomatoes in Mexico from the 2019 U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement. This agreement was put in place to provide relief to domestic tomato growers against unfair trade practices. Exempting specialty tomatoes grown in Mexico from the Tomato Suspension Agreement …
Highlands Citrus Growers Meeting Addresses Nutrition
Growers and industry stakeholders recently gathered in Sebring, Florida, to celebrate the 32nd annual meeting of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA). During the meeting, speakers addressed some of the important issues confronting growers in Highlands County. Scott Angle, University of Florida vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …
Weed Management Concerns for Florida Growers
By Clint Thompson The current supply chain crisis is impacting Florida’s specialty crop producers’ ability to manage certain weed species. Peter Dittmar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension weed scientist, said certain herbicides have been hard to obtain for use this year. “One of the problems that I’ve been hearing, it’s not really a specific weed species, but it’s the availability of …
Decreased Disease Pressure for Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson Of all the challenges that Florida strawberry growers had to overcome this year, it appears that disease pressure was not a major threat. Natalia Peres, professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, confirmed that normal diseases have not been as prevalent in most fields this season. Weather conditions favored …
Clemson Extension Cautions Growers About Spider Mites
By Clint Thompson Fruit production is well under way in South Carolina’s coastal region. Rob Last, Clemson horticultural Extension agent for Bamberg, Barnewell, Allendale and Hampton counties, provided production updates for various crops, which includes minimal pest and disease pressure. “Everything’s looking very good at the moment,” Last said. “Peaches, blueberries and strawberries are all flowering nicely. We’re looking very …
Specialty Crop Growers Look to Take on Supply Chain Challenges
Over the past several years, the U.S. agriculture industry has never faced such unprecedented realities of supply uncertainty and sourcing challenges to meet consumer demand, and ultimately deliver an abundant food supply. Shipping challenges worldwide have made getting imports for specialty crop production incredibly difficult, costly and time-consuming. As significant chemical shortages and delays in receiving products persist, growers and retailers look to confide in a reliable partner. To help understand how we got here, it’s …
New Death Tax Would Squeeze the Life Out of Florida Citrus Growers
No industry is more synonymous with the great state of Florida than the citrus industry. Florida’s citrus growers, packers, and processors contribute more than $6.762 billion to our state’s economy, and we support more than 33,000 jobs. We have endured countless hurricanes, droughts, pests, and diseases, and we continue in the fight of our lives against citrus greening. But there …
Bacterial Spot Remains Problematic for Tomato, Pepper Growers
Bacterial spot disease continues to be a significant problem for tomato and pepper in southwest Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. It has flared in susceptible varieties due to the few rain events that have occurred. Non-resistance pepper looks rough in most fields. Respondents in Homestead, Florida, indicate that disease pressure is widespread. It is starting …
Vidalia Onion Growers Encouraged to Look Out for Downy Mildew
By Clint Thompson It is that time of year when Georgia’s Vidalia onion producers need to be monitoring their crop for downy mildew disease. It was not reported in any of the crop in 2021. But downy mildew is a concern every year for growers. It is mainly due to how quickly it spreads, says Chris Tyson, University of Georgia …