Peach producers now have two new cultivars to consider as part of their farming operations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) stone fruit program in Byron, Georgia announced it has released two new early season peach cultivars named ‘May Joy’ and ‘Cardinal Joy.’ May Joy requires at least 650 chill hours and produces yellow-fleshed, clingstone fruit …
Hurricane Helene Impact: Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Hurricane Helene cast tropical storm forced winds over most of South Carolina Friday as she tore through Florida and Georgia. The western part of the state took the brunt of the damage and large …
GFVGA Executive Director: Imports Forecast Shows ‘Growing Dependency’ on Other Countries
By Clint Thompson Agricultural imports are so commonplace that a projected increase is not a surprise to Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA); disappointing but not surprising. Ag imports in fiscal year (FY) 2025 are forecast at $212 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural …
UF/IFAS Scientist Secures $3.5 Million Grant to Study Soil Micro-Predators
Micro-predators like viruses, nematodes, protists and some bacteria are constantly working in the soil to hunt and kill the pathogens that threaten plants. But how they do this “dirty” work is not well understood. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded $3.5 million to a University of Florida Institute of Food and …
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Projects Announced for Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) $495,000 to fund projects that strengthen Alabama’s specialty crop industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The program will fund 12 projects to enhance competitiveness of specialty crop growers by using marketing, education and research for Alabama’s specialty crop …
NPC to Advocate for U.S. Fresh Potato Access During U.S.-Japan Bilateral Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are scheduled to host plant health technical bilateral meetings with their Japanese counterparts in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Sept. 17-19, to continue mission-critical work on phytosanitary topics. National Potato Council (NPC) CEO Kam Quarles and others from the U.S. potato industry will attend …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: A Conversation About the Farm Bill
By Frank Giles There have been a few issues percolating on the federal policy front over the summer. One of the biggest has been the new farm bill and its prospects of getting passed into law. Last month, AgNet Media hosted the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in Tampa at the Florida State Fairgrounds. The event was a success, and …
Ag Imports Forecast at $212 Billion
Ag imports in fiscal year (FY) 2025 are forecast at $212 billion, $8 billion over the FY 2024 forecast, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service Situation and Outlook Report. FY 2024 imports are forecast at $204 billion, $8.6 billion more than the $195.3 billion recorded for FY 2023 and $1.5 billion higher …
NASS Results: Average Farmer Age Continues to Increase Across Southeast
The average age for farmers continues to increase, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Census of Agriculture. The census is published every five years and shows the average age of farmers increased from 2017 to 2022. Mississippi and Florida had the highest average ages of producers at 59.6 and 59.5 years old respectively. Georgia, Kentucky …
FY Ag Exports Forecasts at $169.5 Billion
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service Situation and Outlook Report, U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year (FY) 2025 are forecast at $169.5 billion, a decrease of $4 billion from the revised forecast for FY 2024. The decline is mostly attributed to lower unit values of soybeans, corn, cotton and beef. Ag Exports …

















