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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “COVID-19”
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced that the counties of Sacramento and San Luis Obispo are participating in Housing for the Harvest. This program was announced by California Governor Gavin Newsom in July to provide temporary hotel housing options for farm and food-processing employees to self-isolate if they are COVID-19 positive and do not require hospitalization. Counties …
North Florida citrus growers who are new to the industry received some marketing advice and background information recently from Vero Beach grower and packer Dan Richey. He gave a presentation during a virtual annual meeting of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association on Sept. 23. Richey, president and CEO of Riverfront Packing, urged the growers to have a plan and to …
As laborers return to the fields this fall in Florida, both unauthorized crop workers and H-2A workers are vulnerable to the coronavirus. According to a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study, an estimated 75 percent of Florida crop workers have at least one underlying health issue that puts them at risk of developing COVID-19 …
Economist Tom Spreen discussed the impact of imports in the United States orange juice (OJ) market at the Sept. 16 Florida Citrus Commission meeting. Spreen is retired from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Spreen’s analysis began with increased imports in 2017 after Hurricane Irma struck Florida. Largely as a result of the storm, nearly 24 …
Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks has joined Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in urging growers to apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The program will provide up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. “We are strongly urging you …
Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors on Sept. 22 had a lengthy discussion about a nutrition research proposal from Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi. Ferrarezi is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Because of budgetary concerns expressed by CRDF, Ferrarezi cut $158,000 from his original proposed project …
HLB-affected citrus trees benefit from micronutrients at higher-than-recommended rates, Tripti Vashisth reported in a virtual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute presentation. Vashisth, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, said that a 20 percent higher-than-recommended rate of micronutrients can improve productivity in trees with HLB. The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute is normally held in Avon Park in …
Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus during the recent virtual citrus Packinghouse Day meeting. Richey, also a member of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, says foreign sales are especially important for Florida citrus. One of the biggest topics of trade conversation is the effects on the market since the …
The increase in sales of U.S. orange juice (OJ) that began during the early days of COVID-19 is continuing, according to Marisa Zansler, director of the Florida Department of Citrus Economic and Market Research Department. Zansler told the Florida Citrus Commission on Sept. 16 that as consumers began to adapt to a new normal while still living under COVID-19 conditions, …
By Michelle Danyluk and Ben Chapman While there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is a food-safety concern, it certainly is a worker health concern. It spreads person-to-person through close contact (defined as within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) or by contact with contaminated surfaces. Systematically walking through the grove, packinghouse or processing plant and thinking about …
“The combination of improved scion/rootstock genetics and optimized nutrition is clearly the way forward” for Florida’s HLB-stricken citrus industry, Jude Grosser declared in a Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute virtual presentation. Grosser is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant breeder. The Growers’ Institute is normally held in April but was cancelled this year due to COVID-19. …
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Housing for the Harvest is underway in Fresno and other Central Valley counties. This is a new program designed to provide temporary hotel housing options for farm and food-processing employees to self-isolate if they are COVID-19 positive and do not require hospitalization. The state is securing hotel rooms in participating counties like Fresno and …
By Michelle Danyluk and Ben Chapman COVID-19 has changed so much about how we operate. Managing COVID-19 amongst workers is extremely important. Its impacts on the health of employees can have catastrophic effects when operations are shuttered by health departments if the virus spreads out of control. This has happened in many food and agriculture sectors. There have been hundreds …
Gift fruit shippers occupy just a small niche in Florida citrus, but the sector’s value to the industry is more than annual sales. For anyone seeking a taste of Florida citrus, regardless of where they are in the United States, gift fruit can be shipped with just a few clicks online or a simple telephone call to a Florida gift …
In the past, the citrus team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has heard some complaints about its Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) website. When it asked growers what information they needed, “the feedback we got was that it’s really hard to find information on our website,” says Michael Rogers, director of the …
The 2020-2021 Florida Citrus Production Guide is now available. See the online version of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences resource. Hard copies of the guide can be obtained at local UF/IFAS Extension county offices. Get the list of citrus Extension agents here. It is always best to email or call the agent ahead of time …
Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Sparks recently advised Mutual members that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has added several commodities that now qualify for Part 1 of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The CFAP provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. …
For nearly three decades, Citrus Expo has been the premier event that growers turn to for the latest information and products to run a successful operation. Although the annual in-person event took a hiatus this year to ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the virtual event saw tremendous success. “In these unprecedented times, it was important for us to find ways …
The average blended price per pound solid (PPS) for juice oranges grown by Alico, Inc. fell from $2.42 in the prior fiscal year to $1.86 in the current fiscal year. That was largely due to the Florida citrus crop being greater than expected in the 2018-19 harvest season, leading to excess inventory levels at Florida citrus juice processors, the company …
Citrus growers can get continuing education units (CEUs) from the 2020 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute, even though the in-person version of the annual event was cancelled due to COVID-19. Multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt discusses how growers and others can get their restricted-use pesticide license or Certified Crop Advisor CEUs. “We have started to receive those presentations from those …
