Except for a small part of South Florida and portions of South Carolina and North Carolina, the Southeast has sufficient moisture, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Georgia and Alabama received enough rainfall this past week to where there are no parts of either state that are abnormally dry. The only part of Florida that is abnormally dry is the …
USDA Releases Final 2020 Cotton Report
The United States Department of Agriculture released its 2020 final all cotton production report on Wednesday. Becky Sommer with the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Washington D.C. has the final numbers: The 2020 final all cotton production was estimated at 14.6 million 480-pound bales, 27% lower than the 2019 crop. The United States yield for all cotton is estimated at 847 pounds per …
Florida Challenged Over Pesticide Decision
(TALLAHASSEE, Wednesday, May 12, 2021/NSF) — Amid arguments about the troubled citrus industry and the health of farmworkers, a chemical company is challenging a state decision to block a pesticide that could help fight a disease that has caused massive damage in citrus groves. AgLogic Chemical, LLC filed an administrative challenge Tuesday, about three weeks after the state Department of …
Trump Backs Simpson for Agriculture Commissioner
(Tuesday, May 11, 2021/NSF) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, in a potential run for state agriculture commissioner. “Wilton Simpson has done an outstanding job as President of the Florida State Senate, and I hope he runs for Florida Agriculture Commissioner in 2022 —- he will have my complete and total endorsement!” …
Nikki Fried: Agriculture Needs a Seat at the Table When We’re Discussing What to do on Immigration
By Clint Thompson According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the H-2A program allows U.S. employers who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs. The program is also very costly; in some cases, prohibitively so, for farmers trying to earn a profit and remain sustainable. Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki …
Livestock Market Report Week Ending 5-7-2021
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended May 7, 2021, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the week ended May 7, 2021, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 8,900 head compared to 16,847 last week and …
Record Florida Budget Awaits Governor’s Approval
When the 2021 Florida Legislative Session wrapped up last Friday, it capped off a session where lawmakers passed a record $101.5 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1. According to the News Service of Florida, with the Covid-19 pandemic severely damaging the state’s economy last year, lawmakers feared they could face a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. But, …
Innovative Approaches to High Tunnel Systems in Florida
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida will invest $300,000 for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for high tunnel systems that improve weather resiliency and improve degraded plant conditions. Grants from $5,000 to $75,000 will be awarded to applicants matching those funds on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-federal sources that can include cash or in-kind contributions. U.S.-based non-federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply …
Southeast Cotton, Peanut Planting Near Five-Year Averages
Many Southeast farmers dealt with cool, wet weather to start the 2021 planting season. But according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS), both cotton and peanut planting were close to the 5-year averages this past week. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says rain in other areas of the cotton belt hampered planting. …
Florida Legislative Session Good for Agriculture
The 2021 Florida Legislative Session wrapped up last Friday afternoon, and many in agriculture were pleased with this year’s session. That includes the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, as their Director of Governmental Affairs Sam Ard told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman, it was a good session for agriculture in the state. The Right to Farm law was initially approved in 1979 and helps shield …