Orange Forecast Down and Beef Exports Down

The Agribusiness Update
The Florida all orange forecast, at 17.8 million boxes, 801,000 tons, is down 5% from the previous forecast but up 13% from last season, and U.S. Meat Export Federation data shows beef exports below last March’s large volume, but the highest since last June.

Sugar Workers Praise Industry on the Hill

Southeast Regional Ag News
“U.S. sugar policy provides so much opportunity for people in rural communities,” says Cornelius Fowler, a Florida Crystal truck driver with 16 years of experience on the job.

Florida Bans Lab-Grown Meats and House & Senate Farm Bureau Overviews

The Agribusiness Update
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning the sale or production of lab-grown meat in the state, and just hours after House Ag Chair GT Thompson released his farm bill overview, Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow releases hers.

Florida Out of Lab-Grown Meat Business

Southeast Regional Ag News
We’ve circled around the topic numerous times, but now it is official: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill banning the sale or production of lab-grown meat in the state.

Florida Tropical Fruit Workshop and National Ag Aviation Assoc in D.C.

The Agribusiness Update
UF faculty and the Miami-Dade Extension office are hosting a free workshop this Thursday titled, “Climate Risk and Opportunities for Tropical and Subtropical Crops Production in Florida, and the National Ag Aviation Association at Ag on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Florida Ag Woman of the Year and Rabobank on Recovering Grocery Prices

The Agribusiness Update
Florida Department of Agriculture announced Sandra Moore as the 2024 Woman of the Year in Agriculture, and Rabobank's North American Agribusiness Review shows grocery sales have started to recover as food inflation has slowed.

Suit Over New Emissions Rules and New Dairy Cattle Testing Rules

The Agribusiness Update
Attorneys generals from 25 states, including Florida, Georgia and Alabama, have sued the EPA to block rules to reduce emissions from cars and encourage electric vehicle manufacturing, and the USDA has mandated testing for H5N1 of dairy cattle that cross state lines in a move to protect the livestock industry.

FDACS Announces 2024 Woman of the Year in Agriculture

Southeast Regional Ag News
Sandra Moore, of Hillsborough County, is the first Woman of the Year in Agriculture winner representing the tropical fish industry.

More Vertical Farming and Farmers Lead in Conservation

The Agribusiness Update
People everywhere are turning to greenhouses and indoor vertical farms to grow commodities, and America’s farmers and ranchers lead the way in greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Florida Most Citrus Acres and Baltimore Bridge Impact on Agriculture

The Agribusiness Update
The Sunshine State still has the most citrus acres in the United States, and the container ship that recently slammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge will have an impact on American agriculture.

More FL Ag Land Preserved Through Easements

Southeast Regional Ag News
Last week Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the protection of over 8,000 acres of Florida agricultural land through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

Florida Blueberry Season and Bird Flu Found in Cattle

The Agribusiness Update
Ready to pick your own blueberries or buy them at the grocery store? Florida’s blueberry season is here, and the USDA, FDA, and CDC announced the detection of Bird Flu in cattle.

Florida Farmworkers Dehydrated and Right to Repair Facilitation

The Agribusiness Update
Nearly all farm workers in a recent Florida study were dehydrated at the end of their shifts, and the Justice Department and FTC submitted favorable comments advocating for regulations that would facilitate the right to repair.

Dollars Dedicated to Florida Citrus

Southeast Regional Ag News
The Florida Legislature’s fiscal year budget includes $47 million to champion the Sunshine State’s citrus industry.

FDACS Readies Itself for New Headquarters

Southeast Regional Ag News
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture touts funding for new headquarters as a significant victory for Florida agriculture.

Florida Water Restrictions and Stabenow on Farm Bill

The Agribusiness Update
Half of Florida residents don’t know about local water restrictions, according to the latest University of Florida study, and Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow says she’ll push a new farm bill into the future rather than strike a deal with Republicans.

Florida Ag Policy and Commodity Forum and EU Scraps Pesticide Cuts

The Agribusiness Update
Florida Farm Bureau is excited to offer the second annual Ag Policy and Commodity Forum in Gainesville, and the head of the European Commission announced plans to scrap a proposed cutting of EU pesticide use in half following protests.

Citrus Health Forum in Florida and Vilsack Reaction to Census

The Agribusiness Update
Don’t forget to register for the 2024 Citrus Health Forum! The forum will be held this Thursday at the North Florida

Research & Education Center in Quincy, and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s reaction to last week’s 2022 Census of Agriculture calls for delivering ag policies for small-and mid-sized farms.

USDA Funding for Florida and Net Cash Farm Income Down

The Agribusiness Update
The USDA is allocating more than $5 million to Florida as part of a nationwide effort to strengthen the country’s infrastructure for pest detection as well as the nursery system, and USDA’s Economic Research Service forecasts U.S. net cash farm income will decrease 25.8% in 2024.

Idalia Funds Approved

Southeast Regional Ag News
On Tuesday, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced that more than $4.5 million has been approved for farmers impacted.