Florida farmers, ranchers and forest land owners are being reminded Friday, Nov. 20 is the deadline to apply for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, but funding selections are typically made once a year. This is for fiscal year 2021 funding. Here is Florida …
Latest Cotton and Peanut Harvests Details
Efforts continue across the Southeast to move the cotton and peanut harvests along. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey has the latest look at cotton harvest activity. But Rippey says the pace of the peanut harvest is still behind the five-year average. In Alabama, cotton harvest was 71% complete, while last year it was at 84% and the 5-year average of 77%. As for the peanut …
Florida Citrus Packers: South Africa Imports Pose Risk
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) announced it is authorizing the importation of cold-treated fresh citrus from South Africa into all U.S. ports of entry. Previously, APHIS restricted the entry of cold-treated citrus fruit from South Africa to four U.S. ports that have cold-treatment facilities. APHIS scientists determined that citrus fruit from South Africa, …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 11-13-2020
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended November 13, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the Week ended November 13, 2020, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 16,532 head compared to 9,399 last week and …
Registration Deadline Approaches for Hurricane Michael Timber and Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Programs
(FDACS) — The registration deadline for the Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program and the Florida Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Program is Friday, November 20. Since the program launched in August, more than 1,500 registrations have been received and nearly $10 million in crop loss payments have been issued to agricultural producers and forest landowners who suffered damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. “I am incredibly proud of our …
Eta Leaves Florida, but Be Prepared for More
(NSF) — Tropical Storm Eta made its second landfall in Florida Thursday morning, near Cedar Key in Levy County. As of midday, the storm was heading back out to sea, after exiting Florida near Jacksonville. More than 30 thousand people in the state remain without power according to the National Weather Service, and significant flooding remains an issue in South …
Two Florida Counties Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available (USDA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated two Florida counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Okaloosa and Walton counties who suffered losses caused by Hurricane Sally, high winds, excessive rains and flooding that occurred from Sept. 14 through Sept. 19, 2020, may be eligible for U.S. Department of …
Florida NRCS Offers Help for Severe Erosion
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida is providing Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds to help agricultural producers address severe erosion and irrigation retrofit. Applications for financial assistance are being accepted through Dec. 4. Florida State Conservationist Juan Hernandez told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman, that this is a two-state effort. Agricultural producers are eligible to apply in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, …
More COVID-19 Tests for Florida Ag Workers
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced updates to COVID-19 testing sites in Hendry, Miami-Dade, Collier and St. Lucie counties for farmworkers. The effort to provide access to no-cost testing for farmworkers is part of a partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and county governments. Testing services will continue as …
Get Florida Freeze Updates With Winter Weather Watch
By Chris Oswalt There was a time back in 1962, on Dec. 12 and 13, when a devastating freeze in Florida decimated a significant portion of the state’s citrus industry. In Polk County, the freeze caused serious damage to 134,000 acres of citrus. In 1963, citrus growers were concerned about receiving timely weather information and frost warning bulletins. Back then, …