(UF/IFAS) — The coronavirus pandemic occupied space in everyone’s minds this year, prompting online searches about any variety of topics related to it. The year’s most popular UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publications were no exception, with two of the top 10 being brand-new documents related to food safety and the coronavirus. In all, the Electronic Data Information Source, which hosts peer-reviewed …
FDACS Update: Additional County Farmworker COVID-19 Testing Availability
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are announcing additional COVID-19 testing sites and dates in Miami-Dade, Hendry, Collier, Hillsborough, and Glades County for farmworkers. The ongoing efforts to provide access to testing for farmworkers is in partnership with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), and local county governments. “As the pandemic remains a major health threat, we’re continuing our work to provide …
Effort to Make Ag Workers a Top Vaccine Priority
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) on Dec. 2 urged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to include agricultural workers among the state’s top priorities for the COVID-19 vaccine allocation. The request was similar to one various national-level food industry organizations made to President Donald Trump in November. “We understand the state has begun preparations for the rollout of the initial …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 12-11-2020
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended December 11, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the Week ended-December 11, 2020, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 21,800 head compared to 16,359 last week and 19,931 …
Vanilla DNA Mystery Uncovered by Latest UF/IFAS Research in S. Florida
(UF/IFAS) — University of Florida scientists have developed a tool to unlock the genetic traits that pinpoint the vanilla variety that produces an abundance of beans, grows efficiently and sustainably, with consumer-approved taste. As part of their breeding program, scientists with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) believe their work is an essential tool that will be …
Peanut Deliveries and Marketing Report
The Federal State Inspection Service is reporting on peanut deliveries. There are still plenty of buying points across Georgia, Florida, and Alabama that are bring in peanuts a little bit late. Tyron Spearman has some nukmbers for you, along with other peanut news. Other marketing news across the board. They are still selling peanuts for Christmas. You might want to …
Blueberries and Bees, UF Scientists Play Matchmaker
(UF/IFAS) — Chew on this the next time you eat a blueberry: Every single blueberry is the result of a flower that was pollinated by a bee. In other words: no buzz, no berry. With that in mind, it’s no wonder blueberry growers bring in hives of honey bees or bumble bees when their blueberry bushes are in flower. “We …
USDA Updates Cotton Production Estimates
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its December crop reports today. Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says the U.S. cotton production estimate is still down 20% from last year’s crop. All cotton production is forecast at 15.9 million 480-pound bales, down 7% from the previous forecast, and down 20% from 2019. All cotton planted totaled 12.1 million acres, unchanged from the previous …
Backroom Briefing: Simpson Not a Fan of Reservoir
(NSF) — Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-FL/District 10) said he wasn’t sold on a $1.6 billion reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee when he voted in 2017 for the project, which was a priority of then-President Joe Negron, R-Stuart. And with the coronavirus pandemic punching a $3 billion to $4 billion hole in the state budget for next fiscal year, Simpson …
Cabinet Eyes ‘Devil’s Garden’ Land Deal
(NSF) — Nearly 6,500 acres of land, with the vast majority in the Devil’s Garden area south of Lake Okeechobee, are in line to be the state’s next Florida Forever conservation deals. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet — Attorney General Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis — will be asked Tuesday to …