By Ernie Neff Rising prices are worrying Florida farmers, Gene McAvoy with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) said in a presentation this summer. McAvoy is associate director for stakeholder relations at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. His presentation was to the National Association of Credit Managers Statewide Agricultural & Turf Suppliers …
FFVA Honors FDACS Marketing Division
Click here for a high-res photo MAITLAND, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2021) – The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) honored the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Marketing and Development with its 2021 Friend of the Industry Award. The award was presented during FFVA’s 77th annual convention in Naples on Sept. 14. The award recognizes the …
USDA RMA Has Specialty Crop Producers Covered
By Richard Flournoy, Risk Management Agency Whether you grow almonds or apples, peppers or prunes, crop insurance options are available. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) administers Federal crop insurance that protects 76 specialty crops, and we’re continuing to improve and expand insurance options for specialty crop producers. New in 2021 First, for young citrus trees, the biggest threats are freeze, …
H-2A Study: Farmers Reliant on Program Now More Than Ever
By Clint Thompson With the domestic workforce almost non-existent, Southeast vegetable and specialty crop producers rely on the H-2A program now more than ever. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service outlines the growth the program has made over the past decade. Certified H-2A positions increased substantially from 2010 to 2019. The number more than tripled from …
Fried Pleas for Help from Fellow Floridians
By Clint Thompson Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried is hoping to enlist Florida residents in the ongoing fight against rising imports. Fried called on Florida residents this week to buy locally grown produce after revealing devastating data that outlines the negative impact Mexican imports are having on her state’s vegetable and specialty crop farmers. She highlighted eye-popping statistics from a …
Lingering Problem: Imports’ Impact Being Felt Across Country
By Clint Thompson Imports are no longer a Southeast issue. They are quickly becoming a national issue. Unfortunately, the rising tide of imports of fresh fruits and vegetables impacting other parts of the country may be a necessary step in resolving this growing problem. “Certainly, Georgia has been in this fight with us for a long time and have done …
Bayer’s Expanded Movento MPC Label Boosts Management Options for Whiteflies
By Clint Thompson Dry weather in the Southeast is inevitable. Those conditions could bring a resurgence of whitefly pressure, says Roy Morris, senior technical sales rep at Bayer. “When it’s wet, although your plants are lush, you start getting some fungi and things that’ll naturally occur and take out the (whitefly) populations. When it’s hot and dry, they can turn …
What’s Happening? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Weekly Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in the The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “Its hot and humid in the Lowcountry. Fall tomato and watermelons are in the ground and enjoyed a week of mostly dry weather. Okra and sunchokes, aka Jerusalem artichokes, are loving this …
South Carolina Rains: Clemson Extension Reports Weather Impacting Crops
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in the The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Weekly Field Update 8-2-21 Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “Summer crops like okra are still coming in and looking good. We’ve had a lot of rain, and some fields are soggy. More rain is coming. Some …
Pepper Weevil Pointers
By Gene McAvoy The pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii) is a key pest of all pepper varieties grown in Florida. Populations build throughout the season and often reach unmanageable numbers in South Florida in the late spring (early fall in North Florida), resulting in crop loss. In South Florida, it is not unusual for growers to terminate older plantings where weevils …











