A University of Florida professor is known for his work in using computer models to predict crop yields has been named to a newly formed global leadership panel for the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Program, also known as AgMIP. AgMIP brings together agricultural scientists from around the world to research climate change impacts and adaptation options. Senthold Asseng, …
GAO Climate Change Report Estimates Lost Crop Revenues
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) predicts climate change will cost U.S. agriculture up to $9.2 billion between 2020 and 2039 in lost crop yields. The report also details how extreme weather events, including wildfires, has cost the government $350 billion over the last decade, when including crop and flood insurance costs. In the long term, for 2080 …
Florida Ag Damage Estimates Climbing Weeks After Irma
Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Florida in early September, hitting the state’s agriculture economy especially hard. Ricky Telg, Professor of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida in Gainesville, says the damage is still being tallied up over a month later. Damages to the Florida cattle industry total $230 million dollars. The Florida dairy industry damage estimates are …
USDA Designates 19 Counties in Florida as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 19 counties in Florida as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by Hurricane Irma that occurred from Sept. 9, 2017, through Sept.12, 2017. Those counties are: Alachua Gilchrist Indian River Monroe Bradford Glades Lake Osceola Broward Hendry Lee Palm Beach Charlotte Highlands Marion Sumter Collier Hillsborough Miami-Dade Farmers …
USDA Holds Disaster Assistance and Hurricane Recovery Workshops
USDA Service Centers in Florida are holding disaster assistance and hurricane recovery workshops in 48 counties for farmers and ranchers impacted by Hurricane Irma during the next few weeks. The event is free and open to the public. To find meeting dates and locations, go to https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Florida/state-events/index. Representatives from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) …
Farmers May Get Loans to Help With Irma Damage
Florida farmers in 44 counties may be eligible for federal loans to help cover damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced. Still, Florida might have to wait months for broader federal assistance to the agriculture industry, which sustained more than $2.5 billion in losses from the storm. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue notified Gov. Rick …
Putnam Comments After USDA Issues Disaster Declaration for 19 Florida Counties
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a natural disaster declaration for 19 Florida counties due to agricultural damage caused by Hurricane Irma: “I thank U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue for taking action to support Florida’s farmers and ranchers still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Irma. Our …
Farmers Could Get Irma Related Tax Breaks
Farmers could receive tax breaks on equipment damaged by Hurricane Irma and on fuel, under a proposal by Rep. Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers Republican who is running for agriculture commissioner next year. With the agriculture industry facing $2.5 billion in projected losses from Irma, Caldwell rolled out the proposal this week to offer cuts in Florida’s tangible personal …
Tropical Storm Nate Causes Crop Quality Coincerns
Soggy cotton and waterlogged peanuts have farmers concerned about crop quality in the wake of Tropical Storm Nate, which brought 35 mph winds and torrential rain to parts of Alabama last week. It’s too early to accurately calculate yield loss from the storm, though farmers like Dallas County’s Wendy Yeager say damage was less than anticipated. “I expected it to …
Florida Senate Agriculture Committee Meets to Discuss Hurricane Damage
The Florida Senate Agriculture Committee held a meeting this morning in Tallahassee to discuss damage from Hurricane Irma. Led by chairwoman Denise Grimsley, the committee listened to growers, and industry leaders from different agriculture sectors, as they explained the damage on their own farms and farms across the state. The meeting featured two sets of panels of fruit and vegetable …