Georgia Department of Agriculture

Georgia Counties As Primary Natural Disaster Areas Following March Freezes

Dan Field Crops, Fruits, Georgia, Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), Specialty Crops, Vegetables, Weather

(GDA/Atlanta, GA/June 27, 2023) — Yesterday, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a natural disaster declaration for numerous Georgia counties following the untimely March freezes that caused significant damage to Georgia’s peach crop as well as other commodities. This declaration allows USDA’s Farm Service Agency to extend essential emergency credit to Georgia farmers and follows a months’ …

peaches

Peaches “Harder to Come By” in 2023

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops

By Will Jordan The 2023 peach harvest will look different than usual with an estimated 90% crop loss this spring due two adverse weather factors. The lack of adequate winter chill and the spring freeze growers experienced in mid-March combined to decimate this year’s fruit production. Matthew Price, Director of the Chilton Research and Extension Center, explained why peaches will …

mango industry

Mango Industry Seeing Unprecedented Growth

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Big growth in the mango industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The mango industry is having record volume of high-quality fruit arriving in the U.S. this year. Mango volume for the past three weeks has topped the charts at 4.4M, 5.1M and 4.6M boxes per week. The National Mango Board has engaged its growers, importers, and retailers …

fruit

Apples and Oranges Top U. S. Fruit Choices

Dan Citrus, Fruits, Orange Juice, Research, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

These are the top fruit choices in the United States. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Apples held the top spot for total fruit available for consumption in 2021 at more than 26 pounds per person after adjusting for losses. USDA’s Economic Research Service’s (ERS) loss-adjusted food availability data adjusts the data for food spoilage, plate waste, and …

Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew Confirmed in North Florida Melons

Dan Florida, Fruits, Specialty Crops

By Clint Thompson Another week of watermelon production in Florida’s Suwannee Valley region, another confirmation of a potentially devastating disease. Fortunately, it appears that producers were ready for powdery mildew disease, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “It is confirmation, sort of like the downy …

food prices

Some Food Prices Rise in April

Dan Economy, Field Crops, Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Some food prices are creeping up again. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports that food prices rose in April for the first time in a year. The organization says the increases stem from higher sugar, meat, and rice prices. The Food Price Index, which tracks the international prices of commonly-traded …

Cinco de Mango

Celebrating Cinco de Mango

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

The National Mango Board wants to help you celebrate Cinco de Mango. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The National Mango Board has added something extra to this year’s “Cinco de Mango” campaign. Upon visiting the “Party with Mango” page on Mango.org, visitors will be greeted with suggested mango recipes to make their Cinco de Mayo fiesta pop and …

inflation

Inflation Impacting Organic Fresh Produce Sales

Dan Fruits, Organic, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Inflation is having an impact on another industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Inflation continued to impact organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter of 2023. Overall dollar sales grew by slightly less than one percent, and volume declined by 3.4 percent from the same year-over-year period. The data was released by the Organic Produce Network …

florida

Florida Farmers Challenge Feds Over Wage Rule

Dan Citrus, Economy, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, Labor and Immigration, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

(NSF/TALLAHASSEE/April 25, 2023) — Warning about a “looming disaster,” Florida farmers and agriculture groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new federal rule about wages for farmworkers. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Tampa, centers on a minimum wage related to temporary farmworkers coming into the United States under what are known as H-2A visas. The …