Advice for Growers Implementing the Produce Safety Rule

Web AdminBusiness, Food Safety, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Travis K. Chapin and Michelle D. Danyluk Good agricultural practices have been followed by fresh fruit and vegetable producers for decades on a voluntary and market-driven basis to reduce risks from produce safety hazards. Such hazards include microbial pathogens, chemicals and physical hazards like broken glass or plastic. More recently, growers have been fulfilling the Food Safety Modernization Act’s …

Precautions Growers Should Take in the Rainy Season

Web AdminTomatoes, Top Posts, Watermelon

By Breanna Kendrick The abundance of rain in Florida over the past two weeks has brought concerns about bacterial disease issues for farmers. Gary Vallad, University of Florida associate professor of plant pathology and associate center director at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discusses some of the precautions growers can take to make it through this rainy season. …

georgia blueberry

Georgia Blueberry Growers Suffer Second Consecutive Year of Loss

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release

Commissioner Gary W. Black hosted a conference call to connect Georgia blueberry growers and agricultural industry representatives with U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Bill Northey to discuss recent loss assessments for the 2018 blueberry crop. According to University of Georgia Extension, overall losses of both highbush and rabbiteye varieties could exceed 60 percent. This would mark the second consecutive …

Blueberry Growers from Florida, Georgia Support NAFTA Renegotiations

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release, NAFTA, Top Posts, Trade

The Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) and the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA) teamed up to write a letter about the need for modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Blueberries, among other specialty crops, from Florida and Georgia have been facing heavy competition from Mexican imports, making it difficult to keep up with their production. Renegotiation of …

Florida & Georgia Blueberry Growers Call On To Be Considered in NAFTA Negotiations

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release, Legislative, NAFTA, Top Posts

Brooksville, FL  – Today, the Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) and Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA) sent a joint letter to their Congressmen asking that provisions to protect the blueberry industry of Florida and Georiga be included in North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations (NAFTA).  “The Florida & Georgia Blueberry industries have experienced growth and stability in the recent past, however …

Florida Blueberry Growers Association Expects a Good Year

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release, Top Posts

Brooksville, FL April 3, 2018 – The Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) is predicting a good year for blueberries, despite a recent grower survey showing significant crop damage. Last week, FBGA asked its members to respond to a survey reporting any crop loss they are seeing in their fields. With a third of the state’s acreage responding, 95 percent reported …

Florida Blueberry Growers Report Crop Loss Due to Gall Midge

Web AdminBerries, Pests, Top Posts

Update: The FBGA sent another email on March 30 with some survey results. This is what it reported: “Approximately a third of the state’s acreage has responded to our survey, 95% of which are reporting damage at some level. Over two-thirds of the acreage are reporting more than 20% crop loss (many of which indicated they are seeing between 30-50% …

Pest Issues for Florida Berry Growers

Web AdminBerries, Research, Top Posts

By Jaci Schreckengost Many Florida strawberry and blueberry growers face similar challenges when managing mites and insects. Chilli thrips affect strawberries by feeding on the foliage and fruit of the crop. The pest affects blueberries by feeding on new growth in the spring and summer. Chilli thrips are relatively new to Florida growers, said Justin Renkema, assistant professor at the …

Growers Can Get Help with High Tunnels

Web AdminNRCS, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Jaci Schreckengost The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has an initiative to assist growers with the installation of high tunnels in their production systems. Monica Jones, a district conservationist with the NRCS in Florida, said the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) offers a High Tunnel System Initiative to help growers with installing a high tunnel. The NRCS is an …