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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Florida”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced proposed amendments to the Florida citrus marketing order. As recommended by the Florida Citrus Administrative Committee, changes would include reducing the size and quorum requirements of the committee and revising the nomination and selection processes of committee members. The requirement of allocating committee seats based on volume from each district would also be …
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has confirmed the presence of Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Pinellas County. Two male flies were captured during routine trapping in a methyl eugenol-baited fruit fly detection trap in St. Petersburg on May 17. Expanded intensified delimitation trapping over the 80-square-mile surrounding area resulted in two additional males being captured …
In a recent Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) newsletter, the grower association told how the Florida state budget addresses citrus issues and reported FCM’s position on an orange juice petition. STRONG SUPPORTThe 2022–23 Florida state budget signed June 2 by Gov. Ron DeSantis totaled $109.9 billion and included more than $37 million in support for the state’s citrus industry. Citrus support …
Gas prices in Florida are at an all-time high. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded fuel in Florida on May 16 was $4.497, which is $0.014 higher than the national average. Gas prices are up $1.60 cents per gallon from one year ago, while diesel prices have rose $2.62 over …
Jerry Parrish, an economist with Florida State University, returned to speak at the annual Lay of the Land Conference last month in Lakeland, Florida. Parrish is always a popular speaker for his big-picture economic outlook and engaging style. He is not a dull economist. Parrish said the major themes to watch for in 2022 are the Federal Reserve interest rates; …
“Life as a citrus grower is a perilous journey,” says Chip Henry. Among the toughest perils the third-generation Florida grower has endured are the freezes of the 1980s, the threat of losing his land to highway construction, and the scourge of citrus greening. Henry’s story begins with the founding of O.E. McGuire Groves in Apopka by his maternal grandparents in …
It was a good time to be in the real estate business in Florida in 2021. That was a common theme coming out of the annual Lay of the Land Conference held in Lakeland, Florida, in April. The conference is hosted by SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate. Some real estate sectors have moved through the COVID-19 pandemic better …
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is asking fruit growers in North Florida, Alabama and Georgia to take a survey about crop biostimulants. UF/IFAS will use the results to better help those growers with the use of biostimulants and direct future research and Extension education programs. Those participating in the anonymous survey are asked to …
Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual’s (FCM) new chief executive officer and executive vice president, recently reported that FCM helped achieve substantial citrus industry support in the recent Florida legislative session. Following are citrus-related items that Joyner highlighted in the recently passed state budget: $8 million for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) to continue basic research into HLB ($3 …
How the government provides support to growers after disasters remains a challenge. Disaster assistance was one of the topics discussed at the recent Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. Agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture are struggling with the best …
After being presented virtually for the past two years as a result of COVID-19, the 2022 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute will once again be an in-person event on April 5. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Florida State College’s Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts in Avon Park. The institute is …
It often takes time for the damage associated with freeze events to manifest in citrus. That was the case for the late January freeze in Florida. While some growers escaped fairly unscathed, others suffered significant damage. The damage began to show in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s March citrus crop forecast. The agency lowered expected production of Florida oranges this …
University scientists, engineers, producers, government agencies and industry officials across the Southeast recently met to brainstorm ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help growers. They concluded that they could empower growers and equip farms to increase their economic and environmental sustainability and develop resilient solutions to address climate change by using AI. The three-day conference, Envisioning 2050 in the …
The state legislative session was among the topics discussed at the March 21 Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. The annual event was held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. More than 100 people attended the conference, either in-person or virtually. John Walt Boatright, director of national affairs …
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is reminding growers that participation in the Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant (CRBG) requires the purchase of federal crop and/or tree insurance. The CRBG is available to growers who suffered crop damage due to Hurricane Irma in 2017. The insurance must be bought for two years (Part 3, Option 1) or four years …
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has opened the nomination period for the 2022 Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award. Nominations must be submitted to FDACS by April 15, 2022. Get the nomination form here. “Through work in soil and conservation, pesticide and nutrient management, wildlife habitat conservation, and so much more … significant environmental contributions are the backbone of …
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with state and local officials last month to celebrate the Scott Water Farm. The farm is a public-private partnership with Evans Properties, Inc. in Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Its purpose is to store water and improve water quality. The farm will store more than 9 billion gallons of …
Growers and industry stakeholders recently gathered in Sebring, Florida, to celebrate the 32nd annual meeting of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA). LEADERS ELECTEDNew HCCGA officers and directors were elected. Officers for the 2022 board of directors include: Emma Ezell, president Hank Crutchfield, vice president Charlie Wilson, treasurer Aaron Nelson, secretary New board members are Joe Collins, Billy Barben, …
On March 9, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reduced Florida’s orange and grapefruit crop forecasts again. Valencia oranges took the biggest hit, dropping 3 million boxes, or 12%, to 23 million boxes. The forecast for the non-Valencia crop, which is virtually all harvested, actually rose 500,000 boxes, or 4%, to 18.2 million boxes. That means …
In late February, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted its second annual Flavor Summit. The hybrid in-person/online event was held at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. CREC and the UF Center for Smell and Taste hosted the event that took a deep dive into the science of how flavors …
