As we enter the fall season, Florida blueberry farmers are in planning mode. Across the region, growers are taking measures to prepare for the next season’s crop with attention to pests, new research, and fall and early winter suggested management items. This edition of The Blueberry News has all that information, as well as great updates on UF’s Blueberry Breeding Program. You can also find an introduction from J. Scott Angle, the new Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of UF/IFAS.
This is also the time of year when the Florida Blueberry Growers Association holds its annual meeting. To ensure everyone’s safety, the annual meeting will be a series of virtual meetings tentatively scheduled from October 29 to November 19. There’s a lot of great updates to look forward to! Keep an eye on your email for more information, and be sure to regularly check floridablueberrygrowers.org/ and our Facebook page facebook.com/FLORIDABlueberryGrowers.
Those of you who know me have long known that I focus on the positive and look for the good that can come from tough situations. I have to admit that between COVID-19 and cheap Mexican crop inundating the market, this year brought perhaps the greatest challenge yet to Florida blueberry growers. The upside? The frustration that has been building for years over unfair trade practices finally came to a head this year, inspiring many Florida and Georgia growers to make their voices heard at the public hearings in August. Immediately after the hearings, the White House Administration announced that it will investigate trade practices with Mexico. It’s a small victory, but a huge win for farmers whose voices were finally heard.
It took courage for so many farmers to openly discuss the dire circumstances they now find themselves in. On behalf of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association and The Blueberry News, thank you!