Athens, GA (USDA/NASS) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey fruit growers in 11 states, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, for its biennial Fruit Chemical Use Survey. The survey will collect information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, pesticide application, acres treated and rates applied for more than 12 fruit crops. “Pesticide data …
‘Florida Farmers Are Going to Be the Best Hemp Growers in the Country’
by Ernie Neff “Florida farmers will eventually overtake the rest of the country” in hemp production, predicts Holly Bell, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) director of cannabis. In an interview with Citrus Industry Editor Tacy Callies, Bell summarizes her talk at the general session of Citrus Expo. Bell says “Florida farmers are going to be the best …
U.S. Tomato Growers Applaud the New Suspension Agreement
Commerce Department Commits to Strong Enforcement of U.S. Unfair Trade Law Washington, D.C. (FTE) – After 23 years of suspension agreements that never worked to protect American tomato growers from injurious dumping of Mexican tomatoes, the Mexican tomato industry agreed to a strong new suspension agreement, which U.S. growers support. The agreement establishes unprecedented measures and enforcement provisions that will …
New UF Extension Specialist Aims to Assist Small Fruit Growers
By Karla Arboleda Southwest Florida growers can expect help from new small fruit Extension specialist Sriyanka Lahiri. At the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), Lahiri works with strawberries and blueberries to develop a pest management program that uses less broad-spectrum insecticides. Appointed in February, Lahiri helps the small …
What’s Keeping Growers From Adopting Technology?
By Karla Arboleda Precision agriculture technologies are not as widely used as they are available, and researchers want to figure out why this is the case for Florida growers. Tara Wade, assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in the Food and Resource Economics Department, is studying this issue. She says global positioning …
Florida Tomato Exchange: ‘Mexican Tomato Growers Resort to Blackmail’
Mexican tomato growers and the Mexican government are trying to blackmail the U.S. government into backing down on President Trump’s commitment to strong and aggressive enforcement of U.S unfair trade law. They claim the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) isn’t negotiating fairly in talks for a new Tomato Suspension Agreement, and that they are being forced into an unreasonable agreement. …
Traveling Hemp Workshop Attracts Potential Growers
The University of Florida (UF) Hemp Pilot Project strives to keep growers informed on everything hemp. In an effort to do just that, Zachary Brym, agronomist at the UF Tropical Research and Education Center and Hemp Pilot Project coordinator, has put together a traveling hemp workshop. The first workshop was held on July 30 in Gainesville, Florida. The workshop was …
Southeastern Growers Unite at USMCA Meeting
On July 30, farmers and industry leaders from throughout the Southeast gathered in Lake City, Florida, to discuss the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the lack of protection for Southeastern produce growers struggling to keep up with heavy Mexican competition. “The fight is real,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried in an exclusive interview with AgNet Media Founder and President …
Florida Tomato Exchange: Mexican Growers Should Not Prejudge Antidumping Investigation
The allegation by Mexican tomato growers that Florida politicians are pressuring the Commerce Department to “prejudge” the antidumping investigation of Mexican tomatoes is a fabrication and a clear example of “the pot calling the kettle black.” In a press release last week, the Mexican growers announced that their recently submitted data to the Commerce Department confirms they are not dumping …
Alabama Growers Given Green Light on Hemp
Growers in Alabama are now able to plant hemp seeds and be among the first in the Southeast to be a part of this budding industry. AgNet Media’s Randall Weiseman recently spoke with Hassey Brooks, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ deputy commissioner, about the new Alabama hemp pilot program. According to Brooks, the department allowed growers to begin …