Louisiana fruit and vegetable growers have a new resource for the latest news and information for their industry.
LSU AgCenter horticulture pathologist Melanie Lewis Ivey and AgCenter vegetable specialist Kiki Fontenot recently launched the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association website (www.lsu.edu/LFVGA) to provide information on research projects, diseases, production and upcoming events.
“Fruit and vegetable production in Louisiana is a multi-million dollar industry with over 33,000 acres in commercial production and 7,000 producers,” Ivey said.
Produce is grown in every parish in the state with most of the fruit and vegetables headed for the fresh market and sold locally.
Members of the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables year round, she said.
“In early spring, the fields are abundant with some of the sweetest strawberries in the country, and during the summer, growers are handpicking sweet and juicy watermelons and cantaloupes,” Fontenot said.
Tomatoes grown from late spring through October provides consumers with a never-ending supply to eat fresh or preserve for the cool winter, Fontenot said.
“Our members strive to provide the freshest, safest and most nutritious produce to Louisiana consumers," Ivey said.
The website was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture Crop Protection and Pest Management Grants Project with support from the Louisiana Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
The site also includes other resources for fruit and vegetable growers in Louisiana and other Deep South states.
For more information, visit www.lsu.edu/LFVGA