Holmes County, Florida Designated as a Primary Natural Disaster Area

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available WASHINGTON (USDA/FSA-Sept. 10, 2019) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated Holmes County, Florida, as a primary natural disaster area. Producers who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.  This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend …

State, Federal Leaders Announce Next Steps for Hurricane Michael Disaster Aid

Applications for assistance open on September 11 WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sen. David Perdue-September 10, 2019) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), Governor Brian Kemp, and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black announced that agricultural producers affected by Hurricane Michael, or other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019, can apply for …

U.S. Exports of Live Animals and Red Meats Accelerating

Back in July, the House Agriculture Committee’s Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee held a hearing to review the state of the U.S. livestock and poultry economies. Various folks from the livestock industry were unanimous in their message about passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). And with Congress returning to work this week, that push will continue. But despite the fact …

Southeastern Producers May Escape Some of Dorian’s Devastation

Hurricane Dorian turned out to be a storm full of surprising twists and turns. What was once supposed to decimate Florida’s east coast as a category four storm has stayed hundreds of miles off land and is moving up the Atlantic coast. After stalling over the Bahamas for most of the holiday weekend, Dorian is now making its trek north …

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 …

Quincy FL Hemp Workshop Postponed for Hurricane Dorian

(UF/IFAS) — The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project Workshop scheduled for Sept 4 in Quincy, FL is postponed on account of Hurricane Dorian. We have not yet determined a future status of the workshop and will follow-up as soon as we can. You can view the recording of the workshop held in Gainesville in these two video links (Video 1 / Video …

All Florida Livestock Markets Closed Sept 2-6

Hurricane Dorian Information for the Cattle Industry IMPORTANT NOTICE (FDACS) — ALL livestock markets in Florida will be closed ALL next week (Sept 2-6) due to holiday and forthcoming hurricane. Effective Immediately The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry, has temporarily suspended the intrastate movement requirements for the transportation of animals from the areas expected …