Survey Reveals Top Opportunities and Threats to Florida Ag

By Frank Giles|June 25, 2020

Last month, Florida Grower® magazine featured results of its State of the Vegetable and Small Fruit Industry Survey. It was no surprise that the coronavirus is top of mind for the state’s specialty crop growers. However, the negative impacts of foreign imports, especially from Mexico, is an overall top priority with survey respondents.

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These graphs from this year’s survey illustrate how important trade is for growers. Enforcement of strong trade protection rules took the top spot with respondents on actions that could make their businesses more successful and profitable. Likewise, growers ranked market competition as a significant challenge, with few regarding it somewhat or less concerning.

By and large, growers indicate they have held their acreage pretty stable over the past couple of years. However, COVID-19’s influence on acreage in fall planting remains in question. If businesses that rely on food service are still operating below normal capacity, it could reduce acreage.

While this year’s survey came out in the very early stages of the pandemic, a majority of respondents did believe the virus would affect markets for their crops. They were right.