Recent rainfall has helped alleviate some of the drought-like conditions being felt across the Southeast, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The worse conditions remain concentrated in the Southeast Alabama, Southwest Georgia and Florida Panhandle area. A severe drought is being observed in Escambia County, Florida and stretches eastward to Hamilton and Suwanee counties in Florida and in Brooks and …
Looming Freeze in North Florida and Georgia Has Citrus Growers Concerned
Looming below-freezing temperatures in the cold-hardy citrus region have growers on high alert regarding their remaining crop. Forecasts call for temperatures to drop to the 20s in Tifton, Georgia, on Dec. 23, according to Weather.com. Growers will have to decide on how to handle their remaining fruit, said Kim Jones, citrus producer and packinghouse owner. Jones is president of the Cold Hardy …
GFVGA Supports Senate Bill
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate last week, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The organization is also calling for members to contact Georgia’s two U.S. Senators this week to express support for the bill. Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO) introduced the Senate version of …
CRDF Allocates Year-End Funds to HLB Research Projects
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) met for its December board meeting to discuss several topics before heading into the new year. One of the bigger areas of discussion was what to do with available uncommitted funds. “The board decided to fund work on several questions growers have regarding the use of bactericides inserted through systemic delivery devices and give the …
Alabama Extension Economist Skeptical About Senate Bill’s Passage
By Clint Thompson Specialty crop interest groups were encouraged by the introduction of the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA) last week. The Senate bill would freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) at the 2022 rates for one year and cap future increases by 3%, something that the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and Florida Fruit …
Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers Face Tough Call With Possible Freeze
Looming below-freezing temperatures in the cold-hardy citrus region have growers on high alert regarding their remaining crop. Forecasts call for temperatures to drop to the 20s in Tifton, Georgia, on Dec. 23, according to Weather.com. Growers will have to decide on how to handle their remaining fruit, said Kim Jones, citrus producer and packinghouse owner. Jones is president of the Cold Hardy …
Cold-Hardy Citrus Exceeds Yield and Quality Forecast
Cold Hardy Citrus Association (CHCA) growers predicted this year’s harvest would be favorable at the season’s start, and groves are producing beyond those early expectations. “We are seeing good quality, bigger size and lots of volume left to pick on trees, especially for satsumas,” said CHCA President Kim Jones. CHCA represents growers, handlers, shippers and allied businesses in North Florida, …
Florida Associations Applaud Senate Farm Labor Bill
The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The bill is similar to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that was passed in the House in 2021. It would create a path to legal status for undocumented farmworkers and freeze the Adverse Effect …
LIFT AI to Accelerate UF/IFAS Plant Breeding
Faster plant breeding is one of the 11 projects collectively awarded $261,723 by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Dean for Research Office to solve practical problems via artificial intelligence (AI). To foster research collaborations in AI for agricultural systems, natural resources and human systems, the office created a program called “Launching Innovative Faculty Teams …
FFVA Supports Proposed Senate Bill
The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The bill is similar to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that was passed in the House in 2021. It would create a path to legal status for undocumented farmworkers and freeze the Adverse Effect …