Hello, members and friends.
The month of June has brought a host of challenges to our members and agriculture industry. We’ve faced severe drought, screwworm detection in the United States, and pasture mealybug detection in Florida, just to name a few. I wanted to take an opportunity to focus on pasture mealybug. This is an invasive pest that attacks multiple varieties of pasture grass, hay, turfgrass, and sugarcane. It has been found in Australia since the 1920s and in the United States since the early 2020s (Texas 2022 and Louisiana 2025). Florida is now the mealybug’s latest victim, currently sitting with positive cases in 14 counties. I expect this number to rise as members and producers learn what to look for. Pasture mealybugs feed on plant sap, stressing grasses and causing symptoms that resemble drought or nutrient deficiency, including leaf yellowing, red or purple discoloration, stunting, poor root growth, and dieback.
At this point, we do not have a proven insecticide that can be used to manage the mealybug across multiple industries. This is problematic as this pest is not a single commodity threat, but an agriculture industry issue. I would like to thank our Florida Farm Bureau staff for their quick response to this recent detection, and FDACS staff who were swift in getting approval of an emergency use label for Sefina Inscalis in Florida, specifically on our sugarcane. More information on this can be found on Florida Farm Bureau’s website. I would encourage everyone to look at the resources Florida Farm Bureau has put out on the pasture mealybug. Being proactive is our best chance at combatting and surviving this pest.
Local students are encouraged to register for our Polk County Farm Bureau Youth Speech Contest to be held on Tuesday, August 25, beginning at 4 p.m. in the Brenneman room at the Polk County Extension Office. This year’s topic is “What are some of the proactive, collaborative steps that farmers, ranchers, local communities and organizations like Farm Bureau can take to help guard against invasive species threatening Florida agriculture?”
The contest is open to students ages 14 – 18 and is sponsored by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Leadership Program. The purpose of this contest is to promote a stronger interest and clearer understanding of the many aspects of agriculture and provide opportunities for our youth to gain an appreciation for agriculture while promoting the many values and virtues of our industry. Students compete at the county level first, winners advance to the district level, and district winners to the state competition. Applications are due on August 21. To register or for more information, contact Sarah Waldman at [email protected] or 863-533-0561, ext. 112.
Registration is also now open for the following upcoming events via the QR codes below.
| Registration for PCFB’s Annual Membership Meeting and Political Forum on Thursday, October 8, beginning at 5 p.m. at the W.H. Stuart Center, Bartow |
| Registration for the PCFB Aim Up for Ag Clay Shoot on Saturday, September 12, beginning at 9 a.m. at FishHawk Sporting Clays, Lithia |
Finally, we want to congratulate both our Polk Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, and our Polk Women’s Committee for being selected to receive the respective Florida Farm Bureau Activities Awards. Congratulations! These awards recognize county committees that demonstrate exemplary activities in the areas of community service, leadership, agriculture advocacy, and peer-to-peer networking. The awards will be presented at the upcoming Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s 2026 FUSION Leadership Conference.
Sincerely,
Christian Spinosa, President