May 27, 2020 — LAGRANGE, GA – Sweet, refreshing Georgia watermelon is coming to a store near you in early June. The 2020 watermelon crop is expected to have the crisp, sweet flavor and high quality unique to Georgia watermelon. While Georgia has had a cool spring, consumers should still start seeing Georgia Grown watermelons in stores the first week …
UF/IFAS Researchers Try to Reduce Fruit Drop, Increase Yield in Valencia, Hamlin Oranges
By: Brad Buck 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu UF/IFAS citrus scientists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez are trying to reduce the amount of fruit that drops from Hamlin and Valencia trees prior to harvest. If fruit drops, growers can’t harvest it, and that leads to losses for farmers and less fruit at the market for consumers. Normally, about 10% to …
UGA Agriculture Faculty Produce COVID-19 Video, Materials for Farm Workers
By Maria M. Lameiras for UGA CAES News As the spring harvest approached, members of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association knew they needed assistance to provide important information about COVID-19 safety measures and food handling protocols to workers who make up the majority of the seasonal agricultural workforce, many of whom are native Spanish speakers. University of Georgia …
Sneak Peek: June 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Policies and regulations can impact a farmer’s ability to make a living. The 2020 Florida, Georgia and Alabama legislative sessions have officially wrapped up, and the June issue of VSCNews magazine will tell readers how agriculture fared in each state. Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, discusses the successes and progress that …
Mexican Imports Still a Concern for American Farmers
By Clint Thompson Mexican imports of produce into the United States continues to be a problem for American farmers. They especially felt the sting this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Southeast growers had to overcome a declining market when restaurants and schools closed in March for fears of COVID-19. They also were overshadowed by the constant influx of Mexican …
Watermelon Shortage Keeps Prices Up for Famers
By Clint Thompson Times have changed in the past two months for watermelon farmers in the Southeast. When farmers in Alabama, Florida and Georgia began planting their crop in late winter and early spring, the coronavirus pandemic struck and created a cloud of uncertainty for growers. What would harvest season look like? Would there be customers to purchase the crop? …
USDA, USTR Announce Continued Progress on Implementation of Phase One Agreement
Contact: USDA PressEmail: press@oc.usda.gov WASHINGTON, May 21, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today announced additional progress in the implementation of the agriculture-related provisions of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement (The Agreement), which entered into force on February 14, 2020. Recent actions described below build upon …
Florida Farmer Looking Forward to Next Season With Optimism
By Clint Thompson A devastating hit to the South Florida’s produce industry by COVID-19 has not deterred Toby Basore from looking forward to next season with optimism. “I don’t care where you’re at, if you went into your grocery stores during this, there wasn’t any toilet paper on the shelves. There wasn’t any Lysol or hand wipes. The cheaper meats …
UF/IFAS Awarded USDA Grant to Lead Multistate Research, Study Disease Resistance in Lettuce
By: Lourdes Rodriguez, 954-577-6363 office, 954-242-8439 mobile, rodriguezl@ufl.edu BELLE GLADE, Fla. – Lettuce is one of the top 10 vegetables cultivated in the United States and for good reason. Romaine, iceberg, leaf and butterhead types of lettuce are staples in refrigerators around the world. Used as a basis for salads, as a topping for burgers and sandwiches, as a bread …
Connecting the Watermelon Industry with Retail and Foodservice Buyers
Winter Springs, FL — May 20, 2020 – The new National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) Watermelon Supplier Database is the perfect platform to connect retail and foodservice buyers with suppliers as the summer season takes off for America’s favorite melon. Each year the NWPB staff promotes watermelon to retail and foodservice audiences, both in person and digitally. When a contact …