GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — One day after Hurricane Dorian crept past Florida’s Atlantic coast, impacts to the state’s agricultural and natural resources-based industries appear to be minimal, according to an economist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. As of Thursday noon, the most notable effects were minor grapefruit losses in the Indian River area, a …
Florida Breathes Easier After Dodging ‘Big One’
“A lot of the ag producers out there are so grateful that we didn’t have a straight-on hit, that they’re starting to coordinate as well through us some of the products we might be able to send down to the Bahamas,” Fried said. TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Emergency operations slowly started to wind down Wednesday as Hurricane Dorian remained offshore, inching …
Poultry Industry Announces Alliance with OSHA
Washington, D.C. (NCC) –The poultry industry has long recognized the importance of establishing collaborative relationships to promote employee health and safety practices and to develop programs to enhance poultry workplaces. As such, the industry is pleased the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has agreed to an alliance to share information, guidance and access to training …
August Ag Economy Barometer Falls
(NAFB) — Farmer concern regarding low prices and the farm economy led to a sharp drop in the August Ag Economy Barometer. The Perdue/CME Group economic measure fell 29 points last month to a reading of 124. The barometer’s decline was attributed to declines in both the Index of Current Conditions, which dropped 19 points, and the Index of Future …
Emergency Watershed Protection Program
With Hurricane Dorian working its way up the Eastern Coast, and the fact we are nearing the peak of the 2019 Hurricane Season, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners should your area suffer damage from a natural disaster, their Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) can help relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by not …
USDA to Survey Farm Chemical Use and Production Costs
ATHENS, GA (USDA/NASS) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will gather information about farm economics and production practices from cotton producers across Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina as part of the 2019 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). “ARMS is a vital survey that tracks how farms use technology to manage production of their major field …
Dorian’s Swing Threatens 770,000 Acres of Ag Land in Florida East Coast Counties
GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — Hurricane Dorian began its much-anticipated northward swing Tuesday morning and is now expected to skirt Florida’s Atlantic coast, threatening a dozen coastal counties that are home to 9 million residents and more than 770,000 acres of agricultural land. Though most agricultural production in these counties occurs 10 miles or more inland, crops could be lost to …
When a Hurricane Approaches, UF Gets to Work
Last week, before Dorian even reached hurricane status, the University of Florida’s faculty network throughout the state began setting long-planned storm preparation and recovery steps into action. “There is not a county or area in the state where UF/IFAS (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) does not have a presence, so it is integral for us to …
Arguments Moved Up in Florida-Georgia Water Fight
A federal judge has rescheduled arguments for Oct. 17 in a long-running legal battle between Florida and Georgia about water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Senior U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Paul J. Kelly, who was appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court to serve as a special master in the case, issued an order last week rescheduling the arguments, …
USDA to Survey Fruit Growers about Chemical Use
Athens, GA (USDA/NASS) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey fruit growers in 11 states, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, for its biennial Fruit Chemical Use Survey. The survey will collect information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, pesticide application, acres treated and rates applied for more than 12 fruit crops. “Pesticide data …