By Ashley Robinson
The 2021 Florida, Georgia and Alabama legislative sessions have officially wrapped up, and the July issue of VSCNews magazine will tell readers how agriculture fared in each state.
Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, discusses the successes and ongoing work in Tallahassee this session. He highlighted the state’s updated Florida’s Right to Farm bill, which protects agricultural operations from lawsuits by those who believe those agricultural practices are a nuisance. This stands as a significant step in ensuring the sustainability of the agriculture industry in Florida for years to come.
Mary Ann Hooks, director of governmental affairs with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), provides an update on how the UF/IFAS budget fared this year.
Georgia Agribusiness Council President Will Bentley sums up the Georgia legislative session, discussing the many wins agriculture experienced this year.
Hunter McBrayer, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Association, dives deep into the legislative successes for the state.
The crop spotlight returns for the July issue, this time with a focus on tomatoes and peppers.
The pepper weevil is one of the major pests of peppers. Gene McAvoy provides some pointers on identification and management of the pest.
UF/IFAS assistant professor Ozgur Batuman and graduate student Salih Yilmaz update readers on the state of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Florida.
Since the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation, the U.S. producer industry has faced great challenges, especially with competition from Mexico. Zhengfei Guan, UF/IFAS assistant professor, talks through these challenges and the need for policy change to counter the intensifying competition.
Finally, readers will experience a preview of the upcoming Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo.
The annual event is back in person at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida on Aug. 18-19. Growers can register here and automatically be entered for a chance to win a John Deere gun safe courtesy of Everglades Equipment Group.
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