Florida Blueberry Season and FBI Warns of Cyberattacks
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Florida blueberry season is in full swing, running from March through early May.
www.floridafarmbureau.org reports, with approximately 20 million pounds of blueberries being produced this year, farmers are kept busy with production, harvesting and shipping.
Over the past 20 years, the state’s blueberry industry has grown quickly, with over 5,200 acres of dedicated blueberry land.
The University of Florida has a blueberry breeding program that dates back to the 1950s.
www.floridafarmbureau.org/news/what-to-expect-this-blueberry-season/
**The FBI’s cyber division is warning ag cooperatives across the country to be wary of possible cyberattacks.
The FBI says ransomware attacks typically happen during the critical planting and harvest seasons with attackers hoping to disrupt operations, cause financial loss, and damage the food supply chain.
So far, DTN says two ag cooperatives have been hit by cyberattacks this year, one in February, and the other in March.
**The International Grains Council is forecasting global corn production will drop by 13 million tons in the 2022-2023 season.
Reuters says the first full assessment forecasts Ukraine’s corn crop to drop from 41.9 million tons last season to 18.6 billion, which is tentative due to the war.
The U.S., the world’s leading corn producer, will harvest 376.6 million tons, down from last year’s 383.9 million.
The council also forecasts a decline of one million tons in global wheat production.
