Agriculture

Sugar growers, ranchers, supermarkets, lobbyists, a fireworks distributor boost well-connected Wilton Simpson’s re-election bid.

While still close to historic lows for an industry that once dominated the citrus juice market, the U.S. Department of Agriculture increased the orange production by nearly 6% from an April forecast, putting it a little more than 5%above the 2024-2025 growing season.

Screwworm — a harmful parasite once largely eradicated with the help of a successful sterile insect program — is back. Multiple reported U.S. cases have drawn news coverage, as has a request from researchers with Google’s Debug project asking to release millions of mosquitoes in Florida and California.

Florida enacted emergency rules Friday to prevent the New World screwworm from making its way to the Sunshine State. The state created protocols to protect Florida's cattle herds from the parasitic fly after it was found in Texas earlier this week.

The Citrus Commission approved a $250,000 contract with Visit Florida to maintain its welcome center.

The loquat is a small fruit related to the pear, apple, and plum. While loquat festivals are prevalent in other parts of the world, the only one in the United States is in West Pasco County. It will be held this year on Saturday, April 11, at Sims Park.

A provision in this year's farm bill allows the state to sell off "surplus" conservation land for agricultural production.

Production of mezcal in Mexico is booming. That is to meet growing demand of the increasingly popular spirit in the United States. The boom in production has both created opportunities for producers, particularly in the state of Oaxaca, and come with environmental costs.

However, the bill would allow farming on conservation land.

Farmers said intense immigration enforcement is creating fear among their employees who work on H-2A visas.

The U.S. has suspended live cattle imports from Mexico due to concerns about the New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite found in southern Mexico. This suspension has severely impacted ranchers like Martín Ibarra Vargas in Sonora, who are already struggling with drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls the screwworm a "devastating pest" and is taking measures to prevent its spread.

‘We’ve been decimated,’ a longtime Florida tomato grower says about the industry in the Sunshine State.