By Clint Thompson Agriculture is not immune to the labor shortage epidemic in America. Farmers are struggling to obtain essential items that they once took for granted; pallets to ship the produce on; boxes to put the produce in; drivers to transport the produce. All can be attributed to the lack of a workforce, says South Georgia vegetable farmer Ricky …
FFVA Issues Statement Following Bi-Partisan Letter Sent to USTR
On Wednesday, a bipartisan letter was sent to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai calling for the United States Trade Representative to work with members of Congress to implement immediate trade relief measures for U.S. producers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables. The letter was led by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Darren Soto, Austin Scott, Bill …
Immigration Reform: ‘Agriculture Needs a Seat at the Table’
By Clint Thompson The H-2A program remains essential to agriculture’s future. With little to zero domestic options available to work in vegetable and specialty crop fields, Southeast farmers have no other alternative but to utilize the workforce program. But its needs adjusting. It’s a cumbersome process, says Florida farmer Matt Parke. “It needs to be simplified. It is just the …
Fusarium Wilt on Rise in Watermelons
By Clint Thompson North Florida and South Georgia watermelon producers should not be surprised to see more fusarium wilt disease this spring. Weather has helped the disease be more problematic this year, according to Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist. “North Florida and South Georgia have the same issue in melons. We are two weeks or three …
Farming’s Future: UF/IFAS to Host Ag-Tech Expo
The future of agriculture is ready to be unleashed today. Between robots, drones, machine learning and plant genetics, growers can use any combination to make crops disease-resistant and, perhaps, tastier. To find out more about innovative technology that includes artificial intelligence, precision agriculture and plant genetics, register for the “Future of Farming.” It’s a two-day virtual Ag-tech Expo that will …
The Future of Precision Weed Control
By Yiannis Ampatzidis Farmers use mainly agrochemicals for weed control and follow conventional crop protection strategies that use a vast amount of chemicals, despite some negative impacts on the environment and human health. More than 90% of the acreage of crops in the United States is sprayed with herbicides. It is estimated that around $31.5 billion was spent on herbicides …
Delay in Process: Citrus Trees Taking Longer to Get to Producers
By Clint Thompson Citrus acreage is expanding across South Georgia and North Florida. But those interested in planting future acres will have to wait, likely, years before they receive their plants, says Jake Price, University of Georgia Lowndes County Extension Coordinator. “If you’re wanting a tree now, it’s probably going to be 2023, probably. If you had ordered it six …
Green Bean Prices Could Stay High
Green bean prices are high, says one Florida vegetable farmer. They could remain that way, depending on how Georgia’s crop looks amid a wet winter and early spring. Since the crop does not prefer a lot of rainfall, it could be limited in Georgia, says Alan Jones, who produces potatoes, green beans in citrus in Manatee County, Florida. “Green beans …
Key Investment: J&J Family of Farms Acquires 1,000-Acre Farm in Vero Beach
A national grower, packer and shipper of vegetable commodities is expanding its farming operation in the Southeast. J&J Family of Farms announced the construction of a new 1,000-acre farm in Vero Beach, Florida. “The Vero Beach expansion really accomplishes a couple of things. It gives us a 1,000 acres of farmland, of which about 750 will be controlled by us …
Sneak Peek: May 2021 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson The future of weed control is here. The May issue of VSCNews Magazine provides the inside scoop on all things weed control. First up, Yiannis Ampatzidis, an assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) covers the future of precision weed control. …