News
UV-C light technology fights pathogens in overlooked areas
SmartWash Solutions, an industry leader in food safety technology, has begun shipping the EPIC Panel Sterilight, a new patent-pending product designed to safely and automatically kill Listeria and other pathogens inside control panels – an often-ov... more
Field worker wages up 6%, signaling hike for H-2A pay
Field workers at U.S. farms received an average of $17.04 per hour in October, an increase of 6% from the same month in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Labor Survey. The annual average gross wage rate for field worke... more
FFVA comments on rising farm labor rates
Noting expected hikes in Florida farm labor rates, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is weighing in on how growers are being affected by rising labor costs. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released data from its yearly farm ... more
California report puts drought losses in the billions
Losses to California’s ag industry this year have topped $1 billion as the state’s drought stretched into a third straight year, according to a report from the University of California-Merced’s School of Engineering and the Public Policy Ins... more
Bayer’s Venkata Kishore joins foundation board
Venkata K. Kishore, vice president and head of smallholders and sustainability for vegetable seeds at Bayer Crop Science, is joining the board of directors of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR). “Dr. Kishore’s expertise ... more
Colorado launches ag lending program
The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) has launched a program that offers financing to farmers, ranchers and businesses that support agriculture in an effort to make access more equitable. The Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program is fun... more
IFPA calls H-2A wages an ‘assault’ on produce industry
The International Fresh Produce Association is projecting an almost 7% average increase pay rates for workers in the H-2A program, based on the recent release of the annual U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Labor Survey results. USDA uses the su... more