AgNet DEMO

Category: Florida

  • Sneak Peek: August 2020 VSCNews Magazine

    By Ashley Robinson

    The August issue of VSCNews magazine equips growers with the latest information and strategies to develop a sound fumigation system.

    With the loss of methyl bromide, many growers have struggled to maintain consistent soilborne pathogen and pest control with fumigants that are currently available. Gary Vallad, Johan Desaeger, Joe Noling and Nathan Boyd of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) discuss supplemental fumigation strategies for tomato production.

    In 2018, a comprehensive survey identified root-knot nematodes as the top nematode pest among Georgia vegetable crops. Abolfazl Hajihassani, an assistant professor and Extension specialist and Chinaza Nnamdi, a plant pathology graduate student, both at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Tifton, share proper management practices to successfully control these pests.

    Anthracnose fruit rot disease is one of the most significant disease problems of commercial strawberry production in the Southeast. To control the disease, growers have typically relied on preventive fungicide applications, the most commonly used fungicide being quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs). However, growers have recently noticed a resistance to QoIs. Phil Brannen, Emran Ali, Jeff Cook, Sumyya Waliullah and Owen Hudson, all at UGA, present new recommendations and strategies for growers struggling with fungicide resistance.

    Desaeger, an assistant professor for UF/IFAS is back for another article in this month’s issue. This time, discussing Florida’s up and coming hemp crop. With an increased interest in hemp, researchers are investigating how nematodes may affect this new Florida crop.

    Additionally, Jenelle Patterson, a plant molecular biologist, shares how bioengineered sentinel plants could help protect future crops.

    Finally, it’s Expo time! Even though coronavirus has prevented growers from gathering in person for the Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo, the virtual event will continue to provide growers with the great education they need. On Aug. 19–20, the seminar program will go online at VSCExpo.com, and growers can tune in and watch the seminar presentations from the comfort of their own home. Those who watch the seminars when they debut online will be eligible to win door prizes, including four $200 Bass Pro gift cards.

    There is no charge to attend the virtual Expo, but registration is required to view the seminar videos. Keep up to date on all the latest event information and register to attend at VSCExpo.com.

    If you would like to receive future issues of VSCNews magazine, click here.

  • USDA Announces Third Round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program Purchases

    (Washington, D.C., July 24, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Friday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will launch a third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases with distributions to occur beginning by September 1 with completion by October 31, 2020. The purchases will spend the balance of $3 billion authorized for the program. So far, over 46 million Farmers to Families Food Boxes have been invoiced and delivered.

    Secretary Perdue

    “This third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases is a testament to the great work done by vendors in support of American agriculture and the American people. It is also a testament that the program is accomplishing what we intended – supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most. It’s a real trifecta, which is why we call it a win-win-win,” said Secretary Perdue. “The efforts of everyone involved form the backbone of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program and its goal to help fill the hunger gap in all of our communities.”

    “The Farmers to Families Food Box Program has created a tangible link between hungry families and struggling farmers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Advisor to the President, Ivanka Trump. “Through this third round of Farmers to Families Food Box purchases announced today, the Trump Administration continues its steadfast commitment to supporting our farmers, bolstering our workforce and feeding families most in need during this critical time.” 

    Background:

    In this third round of purchases, USDA plans to purchase combination boxes to ensure all recipient organizations have access to fresh produce, dairy products, fluid milk, and meat products.

    Eligibility in the third round will be open to entities who can meet the government’s requirements and specifications. Proposals will be expected to illustrate how coverage will be provided to areas identified as opportunity zones, detail subcontracting agreements, and address the “last mile” delivery of product into the hands of the food insecure population.

    A notice explaining the solicitation process will be issued in the days to come with a webinar and other educational opportunities provided for those interested in participating. 

    In the ongoing second round of purchasing and distribution, which began July 1 and will conclude Aug. 31, 2020, USDA aims to purchase up to $1.47 billion of food for the program. For the second round, USDA extended contracts of select vendors from the first round of the program worth up to $1.27 billion. Some contracts were not extended at the vendors’ request or reduced based on information provided by the contractor. Additionally, in the second round, USDA approved up to $202 million in new contracts, via a new acquisition activity, with select vendors whose offers were not previously accepted due to various issues in their proposals. These distributors were selected to increase the focus on Opportunity Zones in order to direct food to reach under-served areas, places where either no boxes have yet been delivered, or where boxes are being delivered but where there is additional need.

    The first round of purchases totaling more than $947 million occurred from May 15 through June 30, 2020.

    More information about the third round of food box purchasing will be made available on the Farmers to Families Food Box Program website at www.usda.gov/farmers-to-families. Please monitor the website or subscribe for updates.

  • Farmer Feedback Essential for Adequate Analysis

    Feedback during the Notice of Funding Availability comment period for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program yielded positive results for certain commodities added in coverage by the United States Department of Agriculture.

    It also pointed to the importance of farmers and industry leaders responding to surveys and requests for information. In this case, it allowed the USDA to make appropriate decisions regarding the allocation of funds.

    Adam Rabinowitz

    “I think there was some good feedback listened to and I think that open communication is important. I think it also stresses the need for producers to respond to requests for information where there’s these surveys or the USDA is collecting data. Because without that data, we can’t do adequate analysis that really tells their story,” said Adam Rabinowitz. He’s an Assistant Professor and Extension Economist at Auburn University.

    “From a research and Extension perspective, making sure the growers are answering these surveys that they’re providing the USDA with that data, that’s vitally important.”

    CFAP Coverage

    According to a USDA press release, commodities like blackberries, collard greens, kale greens and pineapple were added to coverage. Seven eligible commodities were provided expanded coverage under Category 1. These included apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines and taro.

    “When we announced this program earlier this year, we asked for public input and received a good response. After reviewing the comments received and analyzing our USDA Market News data, we are adding new commodities, as well as making updates to the program for existing eligible commodities. This is an example of government working for the people – we asked for input and we updated the program based on the comments we received,” said Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue in the USDA press release.

    According to https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/specialty, eligible specialty crops in CFAP are broken down into three categories:

    1. Had crops that suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
    2. Had produce shipped but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel, and
    3. Had shipments that did not leave the farm or mature crops that remained unharvested.

    USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22, 2020.

  • Navigating Generational Differences in Ag

    With more than one generation working side by side on the farm, there are situations that can be tricky to navigate at times. However, it’s important to take the time to look at things through another person’s vantage point and consider how to cater to the strengths of each generation to better the farming operation.

    The most recent and concluding session of the six-part professional development webinar series by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) discusses effective strategies to navigate generational differences in agriculture and natural resource industries. (Another webinar in the series addressed mental health in agriculture; see more here.)

    As of 2016, five generations — traditionalists, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z — were working side by side.

    Megan Stein

    “Research indicates that as people are becoming older, they are no longer retiring at the same age as they had in previous generations,” says Megan Stein, a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication for UF/IFAS and host of the webinar.

    Working with multiple generations can be difficult. Generations are influenced by key events that took place as they were developing as children into adulthood. Social, political and economic differences as well as education and values all play a significant role in generations.

    Generation Z, generally recognized as being born from 1997 to 2012, may play an interesting role as it relates to agriculture and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    As COVID-19 caused a shutdown across the state of Florida around mid-March and early April, this was the time that a lot of Florida’s spring crops were ready for harvest.

    “For the first time in recent memory, there was a real challenge with the supply chain. We had the supply, we had the demand from people who were purchasing extreme volume of these items. However, there wasn’t the ability to get the product from the agriculturalist to the consumer through normal supply chain channels,” Stein says.

    Because of this, many growers chose to sell directly to consumers or donate their produce. As mentioned in the webinar, Gen Z responds extremely well to socially conscious missions, meaning they tend to patronize and support companies that align with their values or that they perceive as socially responsible.

    As the older members of Gen Z are solidifying their buying habits, experts have seen that Gen Z has responded greatly to the ability to connect with producers and the agricultural industry and learn more about the industry during COVID-19 times.

    “As Generation Z takes up more of the buying power in our country, it will be interesting to see how that influence directly impacts them,” Stein says.

    To learn more about the differences in generations and how to effectively navigate those differences, click here to watch the webinar.

    Ashley Robinson, AgNet Media communications intern, wrote this article.

  • Sunbelt Ag Expo Cancelled

    Contact: Becca Turner; (229) 985-1968 x2228; Email: becca@sunbeltexpo.com

    The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition Board of Directors voted to cancel the 43rd Annual show scheduled for October 20-22, 2020.

    North America’s Premier Farm Show, the Sunbelt Ag Expo, has provided a venue for the agricultural industry to conduct business for 42 years. For the first time, since it began in 1978, the gates at Spence Field will not open the third week in October to welcome farmers, their families and loyal exhibitors.

    While the Expo staff has worked diligently over the past several months to put together an action plan that would enable a safe and successful show, it has become abundantly clear that we must change course. Unfortunately, we simply cannot safely blend networking, commerce and education while representing the rich history of the Sunbelt Ag Expo. Additionally, the board’s decision to cancel the 2020 Sunbelt Ag Expo was greatly impacted by its concern for valued attendees’ and exhibitors’ expenses, and their need to plan.

    Plans for the selection of the 2020 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Winner and the Southeastern Hay Contest Award Winners are still being finalized. As these plans are confirmed, information will be released on our web site and social media channels. In addition, the Holiday Arts and Crafts Show, hosted by the Sunbelt Ag Expo, is still scheduled at this time for November 14-15, 2020.

    The Sunbelt Ag Expo looks forward to greeting visitors again in 2021 as it showcases the latest in farming technology, October 19-21. The show will go on! Visit www.sunbeltexpo.com for more information.

  • Not Enough Funds for CFAP?

    The recent revisions to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was a step in the right direction in the United States Department of Agriculture expanding the scope of what commodities are covered. But it also may lead to a shortage in funds being in place for producers, according to Adam Rabinowitz,

    Adam Rabinowitz

    “I think it’s going to be challenging for there to be enough funds. I think there will be some additional allocation that’s there, as well as recognition that there’s other commodities that need to be included,” said Adam Rabinowitz, who recently joined Auburn University as Assistant Professor and Extension Economist. “We may not see, for instance, some of the row crops that’ll be harvested this fall, we may not see the true impact on some of those commodities until after harvest season. Until it’s harvested, we don’t really know what’s going to happen to the markets. Clearly things have not gotten better as of yet from a health perspective, where everything’s back to normal.”

    Next Stimulus Package

    Farmers and industry leaders are highly invested in what’s talked about on Capitol Hill. Additional monetary aid for agriculture is part of the discussion on the next stimulus package.

    “They’ve started discussing the next stimulus package, and part of that discussion may be, whether or not there needs to be some additional funds available for agriculture,” Rabinowitz said. “Everything’s kind of up in the air with that in terms where the Senate proposal might be and how the Senate and the House might ultimately compromise.”

    Additional Commodities

    In a USDA press release issued on July 9, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that were added to CFAP. Also adjustments were made by the USDA to the program based on comments from producers and organizations and review of market data during the Notice of Funding Availability period.

    “I think it’s positive, certainly expanding the scope and it kind of goes a little bit with what we found in a survey that we did with Alabama producers. A good portion of those that responded to our survey just felt that CFAP didn’t even apply to them,” Rabinowitz said. “I think broadening the scope is certainly important.”

    Producers were able to submit applications that included these commodities on Monday, July 13. The USDA Farm Service Agency is accepting applications for CFAP through Aug. 28. The program helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Scientists to Study Crippling Tomato Disease to Lay Groundwork for Prevention

    UF photo shows bacterial spot in tomatoes.

    By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu

    A destructive disease known as bacterial spot can ruin tomatoes anywhere it strikes. That’s why University of Florida scientists want to understand how the pathogen that causes the disease spreads and evolves on farms.

    A couple of quick statistics illustrate the importance of tomatoes to Florida’s agricultural economic sector: Fresh market tomatoes bring in $400 million to $500 million annually in Florida, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Further, UF/IFAS economists reported tomato losses due to bacterial spot of almost $900,000 in the 2007-08 growing season. Those are the most recent dollar figures for the cost of the disease to Florida tomatoes.

    Erica Goss

    Erica Goss, an associate professor of plant pathology at UF/IFAS, was awarded a $455,000 grant by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to study the epidemiology of bacterial spot in tomatoes.

    “Through this research, we hope to more quickly and effectively respond to changes in the bacterial spot pathogen that cause more disease problems in the field,” Goss said.

    “We’re studying epidemics. Plant disease epidemiology does not often include the possibility that the pathogen evolves within or between seasons,” said Goss, who works from the main UF campus in Gainesville, Florida. “We are going to look at the effect of pathogen evolution — including the gain and loss of genes that we have observed to have occurred in Florida — on the spread of the pathogen from plant to plant in a given field.”

    Bacterial spot of tomato is especially severe in the southeastern United States, where hot weather, high humidity and rain can induce disease development, according to a UF/IFAS Extension document.

    A pathogen called Xanthomonas perforans, which constantly changes, causes bacterial spot in Florida tomatoes.

    Goss and her team want to find out how quickly the pathogen changes — and how it changes — so they can keep track of bacterial spot in tomatoes.

    “We see lots of types of this pathogen in Florida tomato fields,” Goss said. “We are going to determine which types of changes happen in the pathogen’s genome over the course of a tomato-growing season in a field. We are also going to determine how specific changes in the genome affect how the pathogen moves from plant to plant during a season in a field.”

    To find the problematic pathogen strains, scientists will use high-throughput genetic testing.

    “We will send a genome-sequencing center the extracted DNA from hundreds of bacterial strains, and the technology will send us data we can use to study the genomes of these strains,” Goss said.

    Other UF/IFAS researchers will work closely with Goss as she investigates bacterial spot as an epidemic. They include Gary Vallad, professor at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm (Hillsborough County), Florida; Mathews Paret, associate professor at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, Florida; Jeff Jones, distinguished professor at UF/IFAS in Gainesville and Sujan Timilsina, a post-doctoral researcher – all in the plant pathology department at UF/IFAS.

    Click here to learn more about bacterial spot and tomatoes.

  • Federal Agencies to Hold Virtual Hearings on Seasonal and Perishable Produce

    Washington, DC — The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the United States Department of Commerce will convene virtual hearings next month to discuss foreign trade policies that may be harming American growers of seasonal and perishable produce. At the hearings, officials from the federal agencies will hear from interested persons on how the Trump Administration can support these producers and redress any unfair harm.  

    The hearings, which were originally scheduled to take place in Florida and Georgia in April, will take place virtually in light of the ongoing pandemic caused by COVID-19. USTR will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to engage directly with stakeholders in Florida, Georgia, and elsewhere on this important issue.

    The virtual hearings are scheduled for the following dates:

    (1)    August 13, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EDT

    (2)    August 20, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EDT

    The Federal Register notice with instructions on how to submit requests to participate in the hearings and written materials can be viewed here.

    NOTE: The hearings will be made public and viewable online, and further details about viewing the hearings will be provided ahead of the hearing dates.  Full transcripts of the hearings will also be posted online after the hearings. 

    Office of the United States Trade Representative

  • FWA Annual Meeting Postponed Until 2021

    In an email sent to Florida Watermelon Association members, President Mark Bryan confirmed that this year’s annual convention scheduled for November has been postponed until 2021.

    Next year’s convention dates will be Oct. 27-29 at the Rosen Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

  • More U.S. Fruit Being Exported, Temporarily Importing Less

    Pictured are blueberries.

    We are now exporting more fruit from the United States than we were last year. According to a story from Gary Crawford, we are also importing much less fruit.