The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently offered two recommendations for improving the H-2A visa program. The first recommendation is that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) establish a schedule to process H-2A petitions electronically. The second recommendation is that the Department of Labor (DOL) evaluate options it could use to better locate workers to return back wages. The recommendations …
Hurricane Helene Loan Program Available in Georgia
The application period is now open for Georgia’s SAFETY 24 Hurricane Helene Relief Loan Program. The low-interest, emergency loan program will provide Georgia farmers funds to recover from Hurricane Helene damage, replace lost income and continue farm operations until additional federal aid is delivered. Farmers who suffered losses from Hurricane Helene and reside in a Federal Emergency Management (FEMA)-designated disaster …
Status Update on CRAFT Programs
The application window for the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) New Tree Planting Cycle Six and Existing Tree Therapies Round Three closed in November. Updates on the programs follow. NEW TREE PLANTING CRAFT received 227 New Tree Planting applications, including 13 solid set projects featuring plant material from the Program for Expedited Propagation, 50 traditional solid set projects and 164 …
Florida H-2A Labor Wage to Increase Again
Florida’s new adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) in 2025 is estimated to be $16.23, pending an official notice in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This is an increase of approximately 10% from the previous year’s rate of $14.77. The results of the Farm Labor Survey are used by the DOL to determine the AEWR, an …
Improving ACP and HLB Control in Residential Settings
By Romain Exilien and Xavier Martini Residential gardens serve as reservoirs for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) due to unmanaged citrus trees. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted a survey to assess residents’ needs regarding ACP and HLB management. The survey examined their current control …
Changing With the Times
By Robin Loftin and Frank Giles When HLB was first confirmed in Florida in October 2005, it was difficult to imagine the path the disease would take the state’s citrus industry down. In some ways, it has been a testament to the resolve and ingenuity of growers who have kept trees alive and continued planting, despite some early prognostications that …
PIECES OF THE PAST: He Called It a Day
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette University of Florida Professor P.H. Rolfs gave a speech during the 1935 Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS) meeting about the “Founders and Foundations of Florida Agriculture.” (FSHS Proceedings, 1935). An interesting read, it touched on many of the major industry members of the time, but I truly loved the following excerpt I found under the heading …
Georgia Hurricane Relief Fund Accepting Applications
The Weathered But Strong: Georgia Hurricane Relief Fund has announced that applications are open for farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene. The relief fund was established by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) in partnership with the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and with support from more than 40 agricultural partners. The fund aims to raise $1.5 million by Dec. 31 to …
Indian River Open House Includes Varieties Display
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS IRREC) will hold an open house Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Numerous activities are planned for the facility at 2199 S. Rock Road in Fort Pierce. UF/IFAS IRREC and its next-door neighbor, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service …
HLB-Tolerant Hybrid Varieties Highlighted
Two varieties that tolerate HLB and produce ample fruit yield and juice were the highlights of the recent Millennium Block Field Day in Fort Pierce, Florida. The 20-acre Millennium Block at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) examines fresh fruit varieties and rootstocks. “The two varieties that give …
How to Handle Extended Flowering in HLB Trees
By Tripti Vashisth University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) flower bud induction advisories for 2024–25 started on Nov. 25. The advisories will be posted bi-weekly until March 2025. The goal of the advisories is to provide growers and production managers with a complete overview of flowering prediction. Every advisory will aim to deliver recommendations for that …
Juice Maturity Standards Eased; Varieties Approved for Licensing
Update as of 12-2-24: For the period beginning 12:00 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2024, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on May 23, 2025, maturity standards in regard to ratio are suspended for all grapefruit including field run and eliminations. This emergency rule supersedes Emergency Rule 20ER24-4. At the request of Florida processor and grower associations, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) …
Brooke Rollins Tapped to Lead USDA
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Brooke Rollins to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in his second term. Currently, Rollins serves as president and chief executive officer of the America First Policy Institute. Rollins was formerly director of the Domestic Policy Council and assistant to the president for Strategic Initiatives in the White House under President Donald Trump, where …
Large Grant to Aid Nursery Automation
Imagine a future where nurseries can effortlessly manage their plants with cutting-edge automation technologies, using potting or weed-spraying robots instead of having to dig each hole or spray each pot by hand. With the help of a $9.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, this vision is becoming a reality. The University …
U.S. House Chairs Ask for H-2A Effectiveness Evaluation
Two U.S. House of Representatives committee chairs recently sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) asking it to evaluate the effectiveness of the H-2A visa program. The letter was sent by Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania. The H-2A visa program, widely used in agriculture, …
Improved Method for Evaluation of Canopy Density
The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) journal HortScience recently published an article that describes a simple, low-cost method for accurate canopy evaluation of citrus. The authors are Taylor Livingston, Amit Levy and Tripti Vashisth of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center. A summary of the article follows. Citrus cultivation presents …
Positive Early Harvest Reports
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions on trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: Are there any 2024–25 early harvest reports that have come from citrus growers using ReMedium TI®? Tom Johnson: Yes. There are several reports, but some of the numbers still need to be confirmed before they are reported. However, I …
Florida Growers Reminded to Complete State of Industry Survey
The 2024 Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey will provide a current view of the status of the state’s citrus industry. Among the topics covered in this year’s survey are hurricane impacts and the use of trunk-injection therapies to improve the health of HLB-infected trees. If you are a grower or a consultant/caretaker (who can answer generally on behalf …
California Announces Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine
A portion of California’s Orange County has been placed under quarantine for the Oriental fruit fly. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) reported the quarantine Nov. 6. It followed the detection of eight flies in and around the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. The quarantine zone measures 87 square miles. It is bordered on the north …
New Flame Grapefruit Selection Offers Improved HLB Tolerance
By Manjul Dutt, Sheetal Ramekar and Gary England The grapefruit was created by chance from a cross between a pummelo and a sweet orange. It was first discovered in Barbados in the 18th century. All the commercially sold grapefruits today trace their roots back to the Duncan variety of grapefruit. Cultivars existing today were developed through natural and induced mutations …