 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “FDA”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins appeared today at Cooperative Producers Inc. in Felda, Florida, to meet with agricultural leaders and growers to announce additional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance to help producers recover from Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton. Rollins signed a block grant agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to provide …
Florida’s tax package was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis June 30. The legislation includes a provision regarding the Greenbelt Law, or tax classification of agricultural land. As of July 1, the revised law ensures that lands taken out of production through a state or federal eradication or quarantine program, such as the Citrus Health Response Program, shall continue to …
Citrus black spot (CBS) quarantines have been established for the first time in Florida’s DeSoto and Highlands counties. In addition, sections of other counties have been added to the existing CBS quarantine in Florida. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant …
Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president and chief executive officer, issued the following statement in reaction to the Florida Legislature’s approval of nearly $140 million ($139,673,565) for the citrus industry in the state’s 2025–26 fiscal year budget: “Florida’s citrus growers applaud the Florida Legislature’s record-breaking investment of nearly $140 million to shepherd the state’s iconic citrus industry back to …
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has been required to update all basin management action plans (BMAPs) by July 1. As part of this requirement, FDEP is adding five-year milestones to each BMAP, where they didn’t previously exist. FDEP has allocations assigned to each entity in the BMAP. Agriculture is assigned an allocation in each BMAP, and FDEP assigns …
By Alissa Hevesh Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. A minimum score of 70% is required to receive credit. Pesticides are regulated to ensure the safety and well-being of the …
By William Mitchell, Taylor O’Bannon and Michelle Danyluk Biosolids, sometimes referred to as sewage sludge, are a primarily organic solid product produced by wastewater treatment processes. These organic solids are often used as an inexpensive soil amendment to enhance soil quality. KNOW THE RULES AND RISKS The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) prohibits the use of …
U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, both from Florida, recently introduced the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act. They said the act supports American growers by changing the standard of sugar levels for pasteurized orange juice from a 10.5% Brix standard to 10%. The bill would have the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) make the Brix change. Currently, …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson on March 31 announced the completion of major updates to several existing agricultural best management practices (BMP) manuals, including the one for citrus. The manuals provide specific research-based practices to agricultural producers to improve water quality. The updates mark the first comprehensive revisions in nearly 20 years for some manuals, reflecting advancements in agricultural …
By Peter Chaires The 2024–25 citrus season is another challenging one for Florida’s valued citrus nurseries. Uncertainty has been the consummate challenge for nurseries trying to anticipate grower needs. One large nursery grower recently interviewed believes that door-yard propagations are now nearing commercial propagations. Who would have ever thought we would see this happen? However, after a dismal 2022–23 propagation …
A recent report recapped Florida citrus production and exports in the 2023–24 season. The summary, Florida Citrus Statistics 2023–2024, was published by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Fruits and Vegetables. The production statistics for Florida are official estimates of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. THE BREAKDOWN Oranges constituted 89% of the …
Florida citrus land fell from 748,555 acres in 2004 — the year before HLB was found in the state — to 274,705 acres in 2024, according to a recent summary of the 2023–24 citrus season. The summary, Florida Citrus Statistics 2023–2024, was published by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Fruits and Vegetables. The statistics …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, Sen. Keith Truenow and Rep. Kaylee Tuck announced the 2025 Florida Farm Bill. Sponsored by Truenow and Tuck, the legislation will prohibit ESG (environmental, social and governance) lending practices targeting agricultural producers, increase emergency preparedness, support FFA and 4-H programs, expand consumer protections and transparency across a number of regulated industries, and more. The …
Sour orange jumped six spots from the prior year to become the most-budded rootstock in Florida citrus nurseries in 2023–24. Rootstock US-942 had held the top spot for at least the last three years. Valencia SPB-1-14-19 easily maintained its spot as the most-budded variety clone. It has held the top spot for at least four straight years. The number of …
In the past year, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) undertook a significant effort to update all the state’s agricultural best management practices (BMPs) manuals. Many of these manuals had not been updated for over a decade. FDACS updated the manuals to: For the citrus BMP manual, the notice of change was published in the Florida Administrative …
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has announced the opening of the nomination process for the Woman of the Year in Agriculture and the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership awards. Nominations for both awards must be submitted by March 1. “Florida agriculture thrives because of the extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to it,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. …
U.S. representatives from Florida have reintroduced legislation to have the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alter the Brix standard in not-from-concentrate pasteurized orange juice from 10.5% to 10%. The Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act was reintroduced by Reps. Scott Franklin and Debbie Wasserman Schultz and is cosponsored by the entire Florida congressional delegation. Currently, oranges below the 10.5% …
The University of Florida honored College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) alumnus Michael Joyner (Bachelor of Science, 1986) with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the agriculture industry and his dedication to serving the university. Throughout his career, Joyner has made a lasting impact on the lives of agriculturists, shaping policies and initiatives …
A groundbreaking research collaboration led, in part, by Indian River State College Professor Tom D’Elia, has resulted in the successful annotation of the Asian citrus psyllid genome. This marks a significant advancement in the fight against citrus greening disease. The research, published in GigaScience, represents an achievement in both scientific discovery and undergraduate education, featuring 28 Indian River State College …
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced the opening of an application cycle for landowners to apply to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The program partners with farmers and ranchers through rural lands protection easements to preserve working agricultural operations. Landowners can submit applications online through Jan 29, 2025. FDACS will then review the applications …
