Recent rainfall is a sight for sore eyes for pecan farmers on the verge of harvesting this year’s crop, according to University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells. “We’ve had years where August and September we didn’t get a drop of rain. Even with the best irrigation the percent kernel didn’t fill out as good as you would expect,” …
Virtual Hearings Begin Today
Gene McAvoy, associate director for stakeholder relations at the University of Florida/IFAS, is speaking up about unfair trade practices. He’s one of numerous farmers and industry leaders in Florida who will testify in a virtual hearing today with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. The hearings, scheduled for today and next Thursday, Aug. 20, will provide the U.S. Department of Commerce …
Florida Farm Bureau President to Participate in Virtual Hearing on Seasonal and Perishable Produce
Gainesville, Fla. – Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick will provide public comment to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Agriculture on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 9 a.m. EST to address concerns of unfair trade practices with Mexico. In this virtual hearing, federal officials will hear firsthand from Florida …
Fall Vegetable Crops Susceptible to Whiteflies
Unless more rain in the upcoming weeks can knock back populations, whiteflies are a huge concern for fall vegetable growers, according to Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist. “Right now, it’s looking pretty bad. It could be devastating. The populations are really high, and we’re just now getting started,” Sparks said. “I’ve got squash where the adult …
USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP
Application Deadline Extended to Sept. 11 (Washington, D.C., Aug. 11, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that additional commodities are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the program to Sept. 11, and producers …
Alabama Extension Offices Serving as Drop-Off Points for Mystery Seed Packages
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is partnering with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) to assist in collecting unsolicited seed packages being sent to Alabama residents from China. The packages often indicate that they contain jewelry rather than seeds. ADAI field inspectors are currently collecting these seed packages to test their contents for unknown compounds, …
Hemp growers: Be on the Lookout for Nematodes
By Johan Desaeger Florida’s subtropical climate offers unique opportunities to grow crops outside of the typical growing season of other states. Such is the case for strawberries and many vegetables. There are high expectations that hemp could be another such crop, although nematodes may have something to say about that. Plant-parasitic nematodes, such as root-knot and sting nematodes, can cause …
Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo Seminar Schedule Now Available
The Citrus Expo and Vegetable & Specialty Crop Expo is coming to you this year! The popular annual event will be virtual to present information to growers that they need in a safe way against the backdrop of COVID-19. On Aug. 19–20, the 2020 seminar program will debut online at VSCExpo.com at 9:30 a.m. Attendees will be able to enjoy videos of …
Commissioner Fried Pleads for Secretary Perdue Expand CFAP to Include More Commodities
Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Tuesday, once again asking the USDA to expand eligibility for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to include additional agricultural commodities. On July 9, the USDA announced expanded CFAP eligibility that included many impacted Florida crops, but aquaculture and horticulture commodities were not …
CFAP Deadline is Aug. 28
Farmers impacted by COVID-19 and hoping to take advantage of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program have a little more than three weeks left before the Aug. 28 deadline. That is when the United States Department of Agriculture will stop accepting applications from producers. Through CFAP, USDA made available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have …