USDA Designates Imperial County as Primary Natural Disaster Area

Drought-Ridden Imperial County Named Primary Natural Disaster Area

TODAY, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated Imperial County in California as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought.

“Our hearts go out to those California farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling California producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”

Imperial County, CA

Farmers and ranchers in Riverside and San Diego Counties in California also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

Farmers and ranchers in La Paz and Yuma Counties in Arizona also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas TODAY, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Additional programs available to assist farmers and ranchers include the Emergency Conservation Program, The Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:28-07:00March 4th, 2015|

California Exports: The Future of the Agriculture Industry

In 2013, California’s agriculture exports totaled to approximately $19.5 billion dollars. Those exports not only helped to boost farm prices and income, it also supported the existence of approximately 147,700 jobs both on and off the farm.

“Every one billion dollars in agricultural exports generates another 1.2 dollars in economic activity outside the agriculture sector,” said USDA Foreign Agriculture Service Associate Administrator Janet Nuzum. “When we help promote agricultural exports – it’s not just agriculture that benefits.”

According the USDA, U.S. agriculture producers rely heavily on foreign markets to sell their products. Approximately 70% of nuts, 75% of cotton and 40% of grapes are exported internationally, and California agriculture greatly contributes to those statistics.

Ninety-five percent of the world’s food consumers live outside of the United States, and only 1% of U.S. companies actually export.

“Export opportunities for those involved with agriculture are immense,” said California Center for International Trade Development Director Alicia Rios. “Most growers don’t realize that there are many programs out there to help them learn about the industry and can help them to market their product to international food buyers.”

At an Agricultural Trade Roundtable event, Nuzum met with and discussed the implications of international trade with key agribusiness representatives from California’s Central Valley. Nuzum noted that American producers actually benefit from trade agreements. The goal is to have them eliminate foreign tarrifs, unscientific regulatory barriers and bureaucratic administrative procedures that are designed to block trade.

With the world’s population growing, and with income fluctuations in developing countries, there are many opportunities for the U.S. ag industry to market its products.

“2015 is going to be a key year in setting the stage on the future conditions that the U.S. agriculture industry will face,” said Nuzum. “If we don’t take advantage of international opportunities, somebody else will.”

For more information about export programs, click on the links below.

http://www.fas.usda.gov

http://fresnocitd.org

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:28-07:00March 4th, 2015|

New Website Launched to Promote Yes Vote on Pierce’s Disease Referendum

Pierce’s Disease Website to Help Inform Winegrape Grower/Vintner Community

Winegrape growers and vintners anxious to better understand why their “yes” votes are needed for the upcoming Pierce’s Disease / glassy-winged sharpshooter (PD/GWSS) Referendum can now turn to a new comprehensive website: www.YESonPDref.org.

Designed and launched by a coalition of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), Family Winemakers of California and Wine Institute, the new site provides in-depth analysis of the PD Referendum and the critical work the assessment has supported since 2001.

Up-to-date information on a variety of aspects concerning the PD Referendum can be found on the site, including voting procedures, facts about PD and GWSS, statistics on expenditures, the latest news and links to other sites with information on the PD/GWSS threat.

With passage of the last referendum in 2010, the PD/GWSS Board was given the authority to designate other pests and diseases detrimental to winegrapes for research funding. Since then the Board has designated the European grapevine moth (EGVM), red blotch (GRBaV), vine mealybug (VMB) and (BMSB) as serious threats to winegrapes.

“Through the industry supported Pierce’s Disease Control Program, we helped stop the spread of PD and soon commercial nurseries will have access to a variety of PD-resistant winegrapes–none of which would be possible without the PD assessment,” said CAWG President John Aguirre. “The program is operating at the lowest assessment rate since its inception; yet it continues to deliver tremendous value.”

Ballots for the vote on the PD Referendum will be sent out the week of March 30th. It’s important that every winegrape grower return his/her ballots no later than April 18th.

At least 40 percent of eligible growers must cast ballots to validate the referendum. Passage requires either: a “yes” vote by 65 percent of those voting who represent the majority of the assessment that was paid in 2014; or a “yes” vote by a majority of those voting who represent 65 percent or more of the assessment that was paid in 2014.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:28-07:00March 3rd, 2015|

CalAgX Training Set to Begin in April

10th Annual CalAgX Training Seminar

The California Centers for International Trade Development (CITD) at State Center Community College District has announced the launch of their 10^th annual California Agricultural Export (CalAgX) training seminar. A comprehensive export training program, CalAgX was designed to give California agribusiness leaders the tools to market their specialty crops in the food industry.

“CalAgX can provide businesses with the skills they need to become an international phenomenon,” said CITD Director Alicia Rios. “Not only do the sessions provide real life case studies and examples, the sessions are taught by some of the most esteemed professionals in the export industry.”

Held over a span of six weeks at three different locations, CalAgX is an all-inclusive export training program covering topics such as export logistics, terms of sale, legal and cultural aspects of the exporting industry, export payments and finance and credit insurance. CalAgX participants are well prepared to bring their specialty crops to the global market.

This year, CalAgX is set to take place in Clovis, Salinas and Sacramento. Companies that participate should be at least one year old and have less than two years’ worth of export experience.

For more information about CalAgX and registration opportunities, click here: http://fresnocitd.org/services/calagx/.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-09-20T13:19:49-07:00March 2nd, 2015|

Western Water Bill Critically Needed

Endangered Species Act Has Gone too Far

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Bob Schramm is with Schramm Williams and Associates, a Washington, DC-based law firm that works closely with many agricultural commodity groups. Schramm understands the water problems in California, especially reduced surface water deliveries due to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). He thinks a western water bill–instead of just a California water bill–would help improve the dire water situation.

And while California legislators have tried to pass bills to adjust the ESA to allow human survival to be considered before fish, the efforts often do not get much attention.

Schramm believes an improved strategy would bring more attention to a bill if it were coming from several western states–and not just California–as a unified western water bill.

“There are several reasons why we’re going to have a western water bill. California needs the other states, the other senators, and the other House members,” said Schramm, “because their states are also having problems. Arizona’s having problems, Nevada’s having problems, so it is just natural that there is going to be a western water bill,” he noted.

“It is obviously going to help California, and perhaps with more numbers, we might be able to persuade the Eastern members of Congress to understand that the Endangered Species Act has gone too far and was never really intended to have these consequences,” said Schramm.

When asked if it were possible to have a national water bill to bring sense to the Endangered Species Act, he replied, “Absolutely. It is essential that we involve the whole nation on a water bill, but probably the highest area of focus is the where we have drought today.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:29-07:00March 2nd, 2015|

A Tough Shot Hole Borer Pest Impacting Northern San Diego County Avocados

Traps Are Being Set up for Monitoring Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer

The California Avocado Commission continues to deploy traps and lures for polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) monitoring in the major avocado growing regions. The infestation is currently limited to Northern San Diego County, where thirteen groves have confirmed PSHB. Those groves have a total acreage of about 1,000 acres, but not all of the acreage is infested.

To date over 100 traps have been set-up in avocado groves in San Diego and Riverside Counties to monitor current infestation beetle levels and to serve as an early warning system should the beetle spread. In addition, traps with lures have been deployed in other avocado production areas to serve as sentinels. Ventura County now has 24 traps in place and another five are in San Luis Obispo County, and soon traps will be located in Santa Barbara County.

These traps are strategically placed in locations that have a higher susceptibility for the introduction of the PSHB, such as campgrounds, nurseries and green-waste facilities. There are also a few traps within avocado groves. Considering the high number of PSHB hosts, it is believed that movement of firewood and other plant materials from infested areas into non-infested areas presents the greatest risk. Most of the major handlers have set-up traps at their facilities as an additional safeguard.

Traps within the infested groves have shown some significant increases in beetle captures when the temperatures warmed. During January as UCR researchers monitored fifteen traps the average total number of beetles was around 100. In early February, though, when temperatures warmed those same fifteen traps had over 1,000 combined beetles in one day. This data is preliminary, but it suggests how rapidly the beetle activity may increase as summer temperatures begin to occur. Accordingly, it is imperative that growers who are located within a few miles of infested groves remain vigilant in their monitoring for PSHB, especially with spring and summer fast approaching.

Additional information regarding how to identify signs of PSHB may be found here: http://www.eskalenlab.ucr.edu/.

The Commission, prior to the start of harvest, worked with handlers to develop protocols for harvest and transportation practices to mitigate possible risk of PSHB spread, and these protocols may be viewed here: http://www.californiaavocadogrowers.com/sites/default/files/documents/PSHB-Harvest-Protocols-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Finally, a grower meeting has been scheduled for March 24th, 2015, from 9-11 am in Escondido. UC Riverside researchers and Commission staff will provide an update on field trials evaluating possible curative and/or prophylactic pesticides and fungicides. The meeting will be held at the California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Boulevard, Escondido, CA 92025.

Tom Bellamore, President
Ken Melban, Director Issues Management
Tim Spann, Research Program Director

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:29-07:00March 1st, 2015|

Joel Nelsen on Zero Water Allocation

Joel Nelsen, President of the California Citrus Mutual,

Shares Viewpoints on the Zero Water Allocation

The definition of balance at the State and Federal level is once again highlighted by an announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation that producers south of the Delta will again receive zero allocation for surface water and everything and everybody else gets something. “Two years in a row zero allocation is the message while other parties receive an allocation for farming, the environment or municipal needs and that is the definition of balance by federal decision makers which questions how they define balance,” states CCM President Joel Nelsen

Two weeks ago State Water Resources Control Board Executive Director took it upon himself to override environmentally friendly fish agencies and not allow additional pumping designed to assist citizens south of the Delta. “His statement that real data is not fool proof and he would exercise his judgment runs parallel to the federal policy which is unacceptable but consistent, that producing food is not a priority!

Since 1992 over seven million acre feet of water has been transferred away from landowners in the Southern San Joaquin Valley with no accountability as to the environmental successes achieved. Since 1992 those sourcing water from the Friant system have been paying additional dollars per acre foot for environmental enhancements with no accountability. The state of California has over 320 species listed as endangered and yet all the efforts have not led to one species being removed from the ESA list. “Just give more is the answer and state and federal officials remove prime agricultural land from production to accomplish what?”

Preserving the Delta from salt water intrusion is a priority according to the CCM President but “preserving smelt so that they can be consumed by predator fish or toxins dumped thereby requiring more water is unacceptable. Establishing cold water habitats with warm water is ludicrous.”

“We have to be the only state in the nation and the only nation on earth establishing policies that destroys the production of food. That’s a legacy these two administrations must explain,” he concluded.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:29-07:00February 27th, 2015|

BREAKING NEWS—Federal Water Users Once Again Will Get Zero Water This Year

Statement of Don Peracchi, President of Westlands Water District, on Zero Water

FRESNO, CA – For the second year in a row, California farmers will be receiving ZERO water from the Central Valley Project. The announcement today from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that more than one million acres of highly productive farmland will once again receive a zero allocation of water this year should make one thing abundantly clear.

The federal government’s Central Valley Project is broken. Its failure threatens the continued coordination of local, state and federal water agencies in operating the modern water system on which all of California depends. And as a result, some of the most vital elements of the state’s economy are being allowed to wither and die.

It is easy to blame this failure on the drought. But that is only a little bit true. There is no question that dry conditions in 2014 and 2015 have contributed to the crisis. But the Central Valley Project was designed and built precisely for the purpose of alleviating the effects of far more serious droughts than what we are experiencing today.

From 1987 through 1992, for example, in the midst of another prolonged drought that makes the current dry conditions pale in comparison, Reclamation was able to deliver 100%, 100%, 100%, 50%, 25%, and 25% of its normal allocations in each of those years.

Indeed, when Reclamation designed the Central Valley Project, it calculated how much water the system could reliably deliver even during a repeat of the most extreme drought that California suffered, from 1928 to 1934. And Reclamation based its decision on how much water it could make available to farmers based on that calculation.

Contrast that with the failure we are facing today. In 2013, a mere two years after the torrential rains we all experienced in 2011, the Central Valley Project was only able to deliver 20% of its normal supplies to farmers south of the Delta. And in 2014, Reclamation was not only unable to deliver any water to farmers, it could not even meet the “core demands” of its contractual obligation to senior water right holders on the San Joaquin River and its statutory obligation to managed wetlands.

Now, in 2015, we are told that the water supply conditions will be even worse than in 2014.

Why is the Central Valley Project no longer capable of fulfilling the basic purposes for which it was built? Don’t blame the drought. There is no question that new federal rules and regulations restricting the flow of water have contributed greatly to the human suffering that will occur in this third year of nearly zero or grossly inadequate allocations. And what is particularly tragic is that these new rules and regulations, which are intended to benefit threatened fish species, are based on conjecture and unproven theories that have done nothing to protect fish populations. Instead, fish populations continue to decline.

Central Valley Project, USBR

The governor has a plan for addressing California’s water crisis, and the public’s support for the water bonds last year is helping to implement it. But the breakdown in the Central Valley Project is not a problem that can be solved in Sacramento by the long-term solutions proposed in the governor’s plan. Fortunately California’s leaders from both political parties in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have been working together for more than a year on legislation that would help to restore reliability to our water system in order to protect the economy and the environment.

In 1992, when Barbara Boxer first ran for the Senate, she challenged Californians to stand up for the issues they cared about. “Where are the voices?” she asked. “Where’s the spine? Where’s the anger? This isn’t about some theory. This is about [people’s] lives.”

Today is a very sad day for the people in California and all over the country who depend on food grown by farmers who receive water from the Central Valley Project. Today is a very sad day for the workers who will be without jobs because farmers have no water. And today is a very sad day for the environment, which will continue to decline because federal agencies trusted with protecting at-risk fish species are content to tie the hands of project operators whose mission is delivering water for human needs, while these same agencies do nothing to address the numerous factors that limit fish populations.

As she winds up her long career in public service, Senator Boxer’s questions are just as vital as ever. Where are the voices? Where’s the spine? Where’s the anger? This isn’t about some theory. This is about people’s lives.

# # #

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:29-07:00February 27th, 2015|

American Pistachio Growers Celebrate World Pistachio Day with Good News

Just a week after the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released its report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), American Pistachio Growers, the trade association representing more than 625 pistachio grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico is celebrating the good news today – on World Pistachio Day.

People who eat tree nuts on a daily basis, including pistachios, are making healthy choices, according to the report. The recommended guidelines emphasize a diet higher in plant-based foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seafood to lower the risk of chronic diseases, particularly those associated with obesity. These recommendations are consistent with the findings of numerous science-based studies on the role of tree nuts, including pistachios, in preventing obesity and providing other health benefits. The report provides the scientific evidence for the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are expected to be published by the end of 2015.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese and about half of adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases. Poor dietary and physical activity patterns are associated with these conditions. Pistachios have been shown to play a positive role in weight management, blood sugar management, heart health and as a post exercise snack.

“It’s no wonder that more than 1/3 of Americans are obese. We’re eating too much salt, saturated fat, refined grains and added sugar resulting in excess weight, unhealthy blood sugar levels and deficiencies in calcium, fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, D, E, and C,” says Cheryl Forberg, Nutrition Ambassador to American Pistachio Growers.

Forberg continues, “Thankfully, the new guidelines suggest more whole foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, nuts, such as pistachios, and seeds to offset our nutrient needs and promote healthier weights and blood sugar levels.” One of the nation’s leading advisors on health and nutrition, Cheryl is a New York Times bestselling author, James Beard award-winning chef and the nutritionist for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”

Pistachios a Source of Important Shortfall Nutrients

Pistachios can help consumers meet a minimum of shortfall nutrients identified by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee while limiting overconsumption of sodium and saturated fatty acids. These nutrients include vitamins A, D & C, folate, calcium, magnesium, fiber, potassium, and iron for adolescent and premenopausal women. Of these, calcium, vitamin D, fiber, potassium and iron are considered of public health concern.

A 1-ounce 160 calorie serving of pistachios provides:

290 mg potassium (8% Daily Value)
3 g total fiber (12 % Daily Value) making pistachios a “good” source of fiber
6% Daily Value of iron
8% Daily Value for magnesium

In addition, unsalted pistachios are a sodium-free food. Pistachios provide 13 g of total fat primarily monounsaturated fatty acids (7 g) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (4 g) with about 1.5 g saturated fatty acids.

Three USDA-Recognized Healthy Diet Patterns Include Nuts

The Committee encouraged consumers to adopt dietary patterns low in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium. These include Healthy U.S.-Style, Healthy Vegetarian and Healthy Mediterranean diets. Such patterns are:

Rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts such as pistachios
Moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products
Lower in red and processed meat
Low in sugar sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains

About American Pistachio Growers

American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit voluntary agricultural trade association representing more than 625 grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico. APG is governed by a democratically-elected board of directors and is funded by growers and independent processors with the shared goal of increasing global awareness of nutritious American-grown pistachios. For more information, visit AmericanPistachios.org.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:29-07:00February 26th, 2015|

AFT Research Shows Farmland Conservation can Reduce Greenhouse Gases

A new study from American Farmland Trust’s California Office, titled A New Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from California Agricultural and Urban Land Use [PDF], shows that urban land uses generate an average of 58 times more greenhouse gases per acre than the production of California’s leading crops.

This means that conserving farmland by preventing its development is an effective strategy for alleviating climate change. The AFT research, spearheaded by Steve Shaffer, AFT’s principal environmental consultant in California, found that emissions from seven crops grown on four million acres of the state’s farmland – including rice, tomatoes, lettuce, almonds, winegrapes, corn and alfalfa – averaged 0.89 tons of CO₂ equivalent per acre, while those from residential, commercial and industrial land uses in 13 California cities averaged 51 tons per acre.

“If California farmland conversion could be reduced by half (from 39,500 to 19,750 acres per year), within a decade we would avoid the emission of 55 million metric tons of greenhouse gases,” said Shaffer, “That’s equivalent to taking almost 200,000 cars off the road or driving around the Earth’s equator 5 million times,” he added, noting, “Of course, AFT would like to do even better than that.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:30:29-07:00February 25th, 2015|

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