By Clint Thompson Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments are already starting to be issued across the country to farmers impacted by COVID-19. Some specialty crop growers in the Southeast have already started receiving funds. As of June 8, in Florida, 95 specialty crop applications have been submitted with $11.5 million in payments issued by the USDA. In Georgia, 91 …
Georgia: Ag bills still in play when session paused
By Will Bentley It’s a surreal moment in Georgia politics as two years of policy work hangs in the balance after lawmakers pressed the pause button on the 2020 legislative session due to the coronavirus pandemic. Before turning our full attention to working with state and federal leaders to navigate through the heath crisis, the Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) was …
Secretary Perdue: Farmers to Families Food Box Program a Win For All Involved
United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was in Lakeland, Fla. on Monday. He attended a farmers to families food box event. It’s a new program that the United States Department of Agriculture launched to purchase $3 billion in excess food from farmers and distribute to families in need. He talked about the program with Clint Thompson, multimedia journalist with …
Chinese Citrus Imports a Sour Pill for Florida Growers
With tensions high during the coronavirus crisis, move to allow fruit into U.S. raises alarm. See what some are saying about it.
FFVA President: CFAP Payment Amount Falls Short
By Clint Thompson The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will bring much-needed relief to farmers impacted by COVID-19. Unfortunately, the funds allocated per farmer is not enough, says Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) President Mike Joyner. “Florida agriculture was just crushed by the pandemic. A lot of our members have had some really, really big losses. When that direct …
Fresh Citrus Opportunities Florida Growers Should Not Miss
Looking to plant something new? Here is some of the lower-hanging fruit.
Potato Industry Feels Left Out of CFAP
The National Potato Council and state grower organizations wrote Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue recently to talk about potatoes that have nowhere to go for processing. The Hagstrom Report says the council noted more than “1.5 billion pounds of fresh potatoes for processing and potato products are trapped in the supply chain with no likely customers.” Mountains of potatoes were being …
Blueberry Industry Leaders Hoping for Category 1 Status
By Clint Thompson Blueberry industry leaders were disappointed its farmers were not included in category 1 of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. They hope to rectify the situation during the 30-day comment period that the USDA has allowed for feedback. “Where we landed with the direct payment program, obviously we learned (two weeks ago), it was disappointing because the one …
UGA Economist: Submit Your CFAP Application Sooner Rather Than Later
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Ag economist Adam Rabinowitz encourages farmers to submit applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) sooner rather than later. The application process for CFAP started this week. The program provides relief to American farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. When details of CFAP were announced, the first guideline for …
In COVID-19 Era, UF/IFAS Research Adapts
By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu As Florida moved to “safer at home” measures, not all work could be put on pause. When it came to University of Florida research, many UF/IFAS projects could not wait. There are living plants, animals and insects to feed and maintain; some projects have regular monitoring procedures for which postponement could have broader environmental consequences. …