 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “labor”
By Frank Giles A recent field day showcased how technology might help citrus growers with two of their biggest challenges: sourcing labor and fighting HLB. The event was held at Lost Lake Groves in Lake Placid, Florida, and featured machine harvest of citrus trees in an experimental super-high-density grove. The grove has 908 trees per acre and has been topped …
The hype is building for the Florida Citrus Show! Clear your schedule on April 3 and plan on a day full of fun, education and great food at the Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce. Citrus and specialty crop growers are invited to network with exhibitors in the tailgate-style trade show and learn the latest research in the seminar sessions. …
By Tripti Vashisth Canopy health of HLB-affected citrus has been directly related to disease severity, fruit drop and overall fruit production. Some success has been found with the use of certain plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as gibberellic acid (GA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) to achieve healthier trees with reduced fruit drop and increased production. HLB MANAGEMENT Application of these …
At the Florida Citrus Show, growers will learn the latest research results that they can put to work in their groves. Doug Bournique, executive vice president of the Indian River Citrus League, encourages growers to attend the event to hear research straight from the source. The Florida Citrus Show is hosted at the University of Florida Institute of Food and …
Get ready to tailgate at the Florida Citrus Show! This one-of-a-kind event is returning to the Treasure Coast on April 3. In between seminar sessions, the trade show will become a tailgate party that you won’t want to miss. The day will kick off with breakfast and coffee in the tailgate hub. Attendees will have the opportunity to walk the …
Seventy-five U.S. House of Representatives members have asked House and Senate appropriations leaders for an H-2A visa guestworker wage freeze in an upcoming spending package. The text of the representatives’ letter to appropriations leaders follows: “We write with shared concerns regarding the annual adjustment to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). Now in 2024, the H-2A labor rates paid by …
Japan’s citrus planted area and production are on a long-term downward trend. Reasons cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) are aging farmers, labor shortages and a lack of successors for running farms. In a December annual report, USDA FAS summarized production, planted area and trade for each of Japan’s citrus varieties. TANGERINES/MANDARINS After a …
The Florida Citrus Show returns on April 3! Registration is now open for the 2024 show. Join us for a trade show full of the top agricultural companies, informational seminar sessions and an exciting tailgate party. This isn’t your average trade show. In between seminar sessions, growers can mingle with exhibitors and sample their tailgate dishes. Be sure to visit …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the Florida Citrus Marketing Order for fresh citrus to reduce membership of the Florida Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC) and to update quorum requirements. Other amendments to the marketing order include: CAC recommended these changes to help fulfill membership and quorum requirements and ensure a more efficient and orderly flow of business. Authority …
Robert Gilbert, who has served the past six months as University of Florida (UF) interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, will serve in a full leadership role for at least another 18 months. Gilbert has served as University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research dean and interim senior vice president while Scott Angle …
Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently pointed out ways the country has successfully dealt with huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide. The ministry reported that the disease has triggered socioeconomic problems in other citrus-producing countries and regions in the Americas, Africa and Asia. “With appropriate agronomic-phytosanitary management, the life of affected trees can be prolonged, …
By Randall P. Niedz, Guilherme Locatelli, Nick Larson, Lorenzo Rossi, Ellen Cochrane and Michelle Heck Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) developed an idea to bypass lab assays and test molecules directly in the field for their ability to solve HLB. As part of a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant (number 2020-70029-33176), …
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist and his team are hopeful that some so-called “long-shot” varieties will pay off in the effort to find HLB-tolerant grapefruit. Matthew Mattia of the USDA Agricultural Research Services (ARS) U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida, found the varieties at the A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm in Groveland, Florida. The varieties are Florida …
John Chater has been on the job now for two years, working with growers to evaluate variety performance in field trials. In the latest All In For Citrus podcast episode, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor discusses his work, including grower collaboration to study new varieties in real-world environments. Chater also talks about …
Matthew Machata grew up in Polk County on the family’s citrus farm, Rolling Meadows Ranch Groves in Lake Wales, Florida. After he graduated high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served two tours in Iraq. He then attended Auburn University, where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering. At the time, his plans didn’t include farming, but that changed …
Australian fresh orange production is forecast at 530,000 metric tons (MT) in 2023–24 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). This is a 5% increase over 2022–23 production of 505,000 MT. Producers expect to benefit from easing input costs and labor constraints in 2023–24. In particular, the costs of fertilizer and crop protection chemicals have reduced …
University of California, Riverside (UCR) has received three federal grants totaling more than $11 million for research focused on instilling HLB-tolerance in citrus trees. The grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The funding was enabled by the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act, which authorized the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development …
The January issue of Citrus Industry magazine rings in the new year with positive news! Find out how one Florida grower is producing up to 500 boxes per acre. Matt Machata tells how he rehabilitated his family’s groves in Lake Wales. He shares the details of his dry fertilizer and foliar application schedules. Attention to nutrition, irrigation and soil health …
The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) has petitioned Acting Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su to amend the regulatory methodology for determining adverse effect wage rates in the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. “America’s farm and ranch families and American consumers continue to bear the brunt of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) misuse of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette December is always a favorite month for me. It’s a time to reflect on the trials and tribulations from the past year and a time to be thankful for the blessings in our lives that have brought us through difficulties. December brings anticipation for the upcoming year and what lies ahead. For citrus growers, December also …
