The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) did not get all of its wishes granted with the recent revisions to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) by the United States Department of Agriculture. FFVA President Mike Joyner confirmed that there are two commodities that his organization hopes the USDA will include in Category 1. “The two commodities that we also …
UF/IFAS Experts Outline Hurricane Prep, Recovery for Citrus Growers
By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu Like all farmers, Florida’s citrus producers must prepare for the worst before a hurricane strikes. That’s why Fernando Alferez co-wrote a manual that gives growers tips on how to get their citrus farm ready for – and recover from — the potentially dangerous storms. It’s not just coastal counties, where the storms …
Potato Farmers Benefit From Latest CFAP Revisions
By Clint Thompson Florida potato farmers are one commodity group that benefited from last week’s USDA’s revision to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Potatoes were one of seven eligible commodities added to Category 1. The USDA found these commodities had a 5% or greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April because of the coronavirus pandemic. Originally, these commodities were …
GFVGA Executive Director: Grateful For CFAP Revisions
By Clint Thompson The first round of revisions made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the commodities covered under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) benefited Georgia’s vegetable producers. Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) Executive Director Charles Hall was appreciative of the consideration given to the crops his organization petitioned for. “Some of our January …
Additional Fruits, Vegetables Eligible for CFAP
Washington, D.C., July 9, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) on Thursday, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made other adjustments to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data. Producers …
Blueberry Growers Qualify for CFAP Category 1 Payments
The USDA announced today that blueberry growers are now eligible for Category 1 Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments. Based on the USDA’s original assessment of the impact of coronavirus on the industry, blueberries were eligible only for Categories 2 and 3 for CFAP relief payments. USDA’s original market analysis had determined that blueberries did not demonstrate a 5% decline …
GFVA Executive Director: It Was a Pretty Good Season
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s fruit and vegetable growers had their share of obstacles this growing season but emerged mostly unscathed with a productive season, according to Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association (GFVA). He credits alternative marketing outlets for helping products get sold in a timely fashion. “Because of the Food Box program that the …
UF/IFAS Scientists Develop a Specialty Pepper With Better Resistance to Root-Knot Nematodes
By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu Bell peppers make for a delicious snack. Among additional choices, you can add them to sandwiches and pizzas, as they’re tasty and full of vitamin C, making them a popular vegetable. As a $235 million-a-year business in Florida, bell peppers are also an important crop, especially in the southeast and southwest parts of the state. As …
UF’s Angle: We need to have a more resilient marketing system
By Clint Thompson A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is inevitable. Perhaps we are already in it, just a few months ahead of the fall forecasts that most projected would coincide with flu season. But you can pencil in COVID-19 as another challenge farmers will have to face this fall, especially as preparations are already underway for the fall …
Florida Vegetable Farmer: Future of American Farming Dismal
By Clint Thompson Florida vegetable farmer Sam Accursio paints a gloomy picture for the future of farming and the availability of food in the United States. “It’s dismal, unless the American consumer says we’ve had enough. We are going to support these American growers or we’re going to be hungry some day. It may not be in my lifetime. It …