Florida ag has some good reasons to welcome 2017.
If you’ve read the ag forecasts for 2017, for Florida ag and the country, you’ll find a lot of predictions for a dip in agriculture’s economy. With a new administration coming in, 2017 seems to offer a lot of unknowns and down-trending predictions. However, an article in the Florida agriculture publication, Florida Grower magazine, gave three reasons why 2017 could hold great things for Florida’s agriculture industry. Read below to see if you agree.
Bright Spots For Florida Ag
- Bactericides. The results of the State of the Florida Citrus Industry Survey show that bactericides are high on the list of Florida citrus grower’s hopes for the industry. The survey, which was administered by Florida Grower magazine, showed that many Florida citrus growers were using bactericides (we summarized that portion of the survey here). The more citrus growers who utilize bactericides, the better.
- Medical Marijuana. The second reason to have hope for Florida ag in 2017 is the new opportunities offered by medical marijuana. State Amendment 2 passed this past November, approving the use of medical marijuana by individuals with specific debilitating diseases or those approved by a physician. Florida is not alone as many states have approved the use of medical marijuana and beyond. As a state that is renowned for its ability to grow most crops well, the thinking is that Florida ag could find a new and very large market in medical marijuana in 2017 and beyond.
- Alternative Crops. There have been a number of stories concerning alternative crops for Florida ag in the news. One such success story is hops. It was long thought that the vines central to beer brewing would not grow in the hot, humid weather of The Sunshine State. A curious UF/IFAS assistant professor disproved that theory when he tried growing hops on a whim and the plants took off. There is a great demand for hops due to the continued rise of the microbrewery industry, with a good deal of the demand coming from Florida itself. Offering a local source for beer-brewing hops could be quite lucrative for Florida growers. Hops are just one of the alternative crops that are being tried in Florida, from artichokes to blackberries to pomegranates and beyond.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
