New funding to support potato growers

Sep 13, 2024

Fredericton, New Brunswick – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

New Brunswick potato producers who endured extraordinary costs resulting from excessive moisture during last year's growing season will have access to financial assistance starting this November.

The 2023 Canada-New Brunswick Potato AgriRecovery Initiative will compensate eligible potato producers for the extraordinary costs incurred to grow, harvest, store or dispose of last year's potato crop.

AgriRecovery is a disaster relief framework to help agricultural producers with the extraordinary costs associated with recovering from disasters. Its initiatives are cost-shared – 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially – as outlined under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The program will offer up to $25 million in funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries through the AgriRecovery Framework.

Source : Canada.ca

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.