Water Bond Campaign Launched by Tree Nut Industry

Tree Nut Industry Partnership to Help Fund Campaign to Pass Water Bond

The Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA), the Almond Hullers and Processors Association (AHPA), American Pistachio Growers (APG) and the California Pecan Growers Association have come together to help fund the campaign to support Proposition 1 – The Water Bond.

The Water Bond is a multi-pronged approach to solve a portion of the state’s water crisis by providing $7.5 million for water quality, supply, treatment, and storage projects.

The bond is on the November 2014 ballot and is completely in the hands of California voters. The participating organizations are asking their members for donations of at least $1,000 each with the goal of raising $200,000 on behalf of the tree nut industry.

Agriculture is being asked to raise $5 million towards the $20 million campaign, with labor, business and other organizations kicking in the remaining $15 million.

Other agricultural commodities, including cotton, citrus, rice, fresh fruit and dairies have already committed to contributing in excess of $100,000 each.

With over 1.5 million total tree nut acres in California, it boils down to approximately 14 cents per acre!

The organizations are asking their membership “to consider contributing and send your contributions in ASAP, as the campaign is already underway!“

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:24-07:00September 25th, 2014|

California Center in Shanghai Offers Direct Trade Gateway to Calif. Ag Industry

By Kyle Buchoff, Reporter

Strategically located in the new free trade zone in Shanghai, the California Center offers California companies a direct gateway to buyers and wholesalers in the Shanghai metro area (pop. 20 million) and beyond. The California Center is a private entity but enjoys strong support from both the California and Chinese governments.

Gordon Hinkle, VP California Center

While the Center showcases a huge range of California products and services, agriculture comprises the single largest trade category. Gordon Hinkle, vice president of the California Center explains, “Our range of members runs across the gamut, but we do have a heavy [emphasis his] emphasis on ag because some of the highest demand for California goods and services is in ag and wine. We aren’t limited only to food and ag, but I would say it is the largest portion of what we are doing.”

The former international trade director for the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Hinkle said, “We have a lot of different organizations and associations that are involved with us,” Hinkle continued, “to help promote their products. Everything from processed goods to fresh fruits and vegetables…a very important part of what we are doing is working directly with the ag community.”

Recently Mr. Hinkle and other associates visited pistachio, raisin and olive oil producers in the Fresno area. “These are the folks we are helping to introduce and increase their exports into China, and we have had very good early response.”

Gordon also serves as a Committee Chair for the 150^th Anniversary Celebration of the Chinese Workers Contribution to the Construction of the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad, which will be holding numerous events in 2015, recognizing Chinese contribution and significance to American history.

The California Center provides door-to-door service to bring products to Chinese buyer destinations in a seamless operation that includes: shipping, customs clearance, warehousing, sales transactions and customer services. Through the center’s portal, Chinese buyers can navigate through listed California companies seamlessly and with great ease!

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:25-07:00September 17th, 2014|

Pistachios May Benefit Heart Health in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Stress Tests Show Blood Vessels More Relaxed and Open in Published Study

In the Journal of the American Heart Association

It was announced TODAY, that a healthy diet including pistachios may benefit heart health in adults with Type 2 diabetes, according to a Pennsylvania State University study published online in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, who were otherwise healthy, participated in a randomized, controlled clinical study and showed a more positive response to stress following a diet containing pistachios than when following a standard low-fat control diet. The healthy diet, which included two servings daily of pistachios, significantly reduced peripheral vascular resistance, increased cardiac output, improved some measure of heart rate variability and importantly reduced systolic ambulatory blood pressure.

Dr. Sheila G. West, principal investigator and professor of biobehavioral health and nutritional sciences at Penn State, and her colleagues reported similar beneficial results in a study of adults with elevated LDL cholesterol and stress, published two years ago. Increasingly it has been found that pistachios, both salted and unsalted, contribute to a heart-healthy diet in high-risk groups. Pistachios contain good fats and fiber, potassium and magnesium.

In this Penn State study, test diets included a low-fat control diet with high carbohydrate snacks (27 percent fat and 7 percent saturated fat) compared to a moderate-fat diet (33 percent fat and 7 percent saturated fat) that included 3 ounces, or 20 percent of the calories, from pistachios. The servings consisted of equal amounts of salted and unsalted nuts. All meals were provided to the 30 participants, an equal number of men and women, ages 40-74. The calorie levels for the subjects were based on the Harris-Benedict equation so that calories and body weight did not change throughout the study.

A two-week run-in period on a typical western diet preceded the first test diet. Participants discontinued all dietary supplements at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the study. These adults were then administered each test diet for four weeks, separated by two-week compliance breaks, randomized and in a counterbalanced order. At the end of each diet period, including the run-in weeks, participants underwent comprehensive testing.

Researchers measured blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance, both at rest and during stress tests, which consisted of holding a hand in ice water for more than two minutes and a difficult math challenge. “After the pistachio diet, blood vessels remained more relaxed and open during the stress tests,” confirmed Dr. West. She continued, “The pistachio diet reduced their bodies’ responses to stress.”

Twenty-four hour systolic blood pressure was significantly lower following the pistachio diet compared to the control diet, with the largest reduction observed during sleep. According to Dr. Kathryn Sauder, a co-investigator who conducted the measurements, “This finding was important because individuals who do not display a dip in blood pressure during sleep may be more likely to experience a cardiovascular event.”

Dr. West concluded, “A moderate-fat diet containing pistachios may be an effective intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk in persons with type 2 diabetes.” In spite of being obese and having a diabetes diagnosis, participants had normal blood pressure and only moderate dyslipidemia. However, even in relatively healthy diabetics, there is room for improvement. The results of this study suggest that a healthy diet containing pistachios can add to the protective effects of drugs for persons with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers suggested future studies should enroll larger samples, include ambulatory blood pressure as a primary outcome and test the effectiveness of pistachio consumption on cardiovascular risk factors in a free-living setting.

The study was supported by the American Pistachio Growers, Fresno, Calif., with partial support from the National Institutes of Health-supported Clinical Research Center at Pennsylvania State University.

Pistachio Facts

Pistachios are nutrient-rich and full of antioxidants, vitamins, protein and fiber. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts, more per serving than any other snack nut. They are cholesterol free and contain just 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 12.5 grams of fat per serving, the majority of which comes from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. In addition, they contain a significant amount of potassium, 300mg, and 3g fiber per serving.

About American Pistachio Growers

American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit voluntary agricultural trade association representing more than 600 grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico. APG is governed by a democratically-elected board of directors and is funded entirely by growers and independent processors with the shared goal of increasing global awareness of nutritious American-grown pistachios. APG pistachios are the “Official Snack” of USA Water Polo, professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, British pro cyclist Mark Cavendish and the Miss California Organization. For more information, visit www.AmericanPistachios.org

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:32-07:00August 11th, 2014|

American Pistachio Growers Team Up with Anheuser-Busch

A Boon for APG Members and Michelob ULTRA

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Move over peanuts. You’re not wanted anymore by active consumers who drink Michelob ULTRA. American Pistachio Growers’ pistachios will soon be marketed alongside the beer to adults with an active lifestyle.

“In 2015, the nationwide partnership with Michelob ULTRA Beer will roll out with a series of promotions throughout the year,” said Judy Hirigoyen, Director, Global Marketing for American Pistachio Growers.

“We worked with Anheuser-Busch this year in a pilot project in California, Arizona and Nevada. It offered a $2 off coupon for eight member brands within the American Pistachio Grower membership, or any store private label. Anheuser-Busch, not us, paid the retailer the $2,” said Hirigoyen. “The campaign went very well. So we have signed a contract to go nationwide with a series of promotions in 2015.

“In the future nation-wide promotion, consumers will get anywhere from $2.00 to $6.00 off their pistachios, making it a great boon to pistachios and beer lovers alike,” said Hirigoyen.

The discount coupon for pistachios will be available right where the beer is sold.

“What’s really exciting is the Michelob ULTRA shares the same target audience that pistachios do,” she said. “We look for active, fitness enthusiasts, and we want people who care about their nutrition and their health and who are looking for a lower fat, yet very delicious option. And that is true for both pistachios and Michelob ULTRA Beer.”

It’s a good fit as about 50 percent of all beer sold in the U.S. is an Anheuser-Busch brand. Furthermore, Michelob ULTRA was a big sponsor of the Amgen Bicycle Race Tour this year in California.

“Since everyone loves our product, Anheuser-Busch wanted to team up with us. They want to find ways to get out of the beer aisle, and we want to find ways to get into the beer aisle. They now can get their beer displays in the snack aisle, and in the produce aisle, and we can get our pistachios into the aisles where beer is promoted,” said Hirigoyen.

“We are promoting very actively on social networks to let people know that there is free money for pistachios,” said Hirigoyen. “So look for those coupons and purchase some great pistachios from members of the American Pistachio Growers.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:14-07:00July 27th, 2014|

UC Researchers Trying to Understand Roll of Green Waste and Manure

Almond Growers Are Asked to Return Survey

Researchers are trying to find out the benefit of adding green waste from animal manure and adding it to the soil of permanent crops, and they are looking for information from local growers.

A team of UC Davis and UC Merced researchers are trying to find how and why fruit and nut growers are using organic matter amended to their soils. These amendments might include green waste composted or non composted animal manure.

The goal of this survey is to help develop better approaches so the organic matter amendment can be used more safely, according to Daniel Schellenberg, postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis, who is the coordinator of the project.

“We’re hoping to find out the benefit to the orchard for using these types of materials and how they might improve environmental quality but as well as to find out are they benefit tree nutrition are they changing the biology in the soil, or they simply increasing the capacity of the soil to hold water.” said Schellenberg.

All California almond growers will be getting a survey in their mailboxes this week.

“We’re working with in partnership with the Almond Board of California we were able to have a mailing that will go out to almond growers about their practices and have also built a website that will allow all growers of trees, fruits, and nuts to be able to take the survey.” said Schellenberg

The survey can be found here.

Previously, the Almond Board of California stated that growers should not use these amendment due to food safety, but there has been no field trials to show the risk. A research goal is to find how amends can be used safely, and to determine how much nitrogen certain amendments can provide for tree and vines.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:27-07:00June 10th, 2014|

Pistachio Growers: Beware of Gill’s Mealybug

David Haviland says pistachio growers should be aware of the damage caused by Gill’s Mealybug.

Gill’s Mealybug May Appear in Orchards Over the Next Few Weeks

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

As Gill’s Mealybug overwinters, a new generation will appear in May, and growers should treat the first generation around June 1.

Gill’s mealybug is a relatively new pest of pistachios in California. “It was first recognized in the late 1990s in a an orchard near Tulare. It has now spread up to Colusa County and has move down to Kern County,” said David Haviland, UC Cooperative Extension Kern County, who organized the field day with Elizabeth Fichtner, UC Cooperative Extension Tulare County.

Tulare County is a hot spot with most pistachio orchards having the bug, which has three generations per year. “Right about harvest time there are a whole bunch of mealybug crawlers hatching, and then they overwinter and become adults in May. These adults will produce an enormous amount of new crawlers the first week of June, which is an important treatment time, right when those crawlers come out,” said Haviland. “The ones that are born the first week of June will become adults in about mid-to-late July, which is the second generation. The mealybugs that are in the tree now are the start of the third generation when they become adults then hatch more young bugs at harvest.”

“Population-wise, growers will get millions of crawlers at harvest, but if you come back to the tree in the spring, you will see maybe one or two per pistachio cluster, so there is a huge winter mortality,” said Haviland.

Haviland stood by a tree that had only about one mealybug per 10 clusters in the May, but now the untreated trees in the trial have clusters that are covered with honeydew, and now blackened with sooty mold, with 30 or 40 adults on the clusters. The lower leaves on the trees were turning black from the sooty mold.

“Typically growers go out in their orchards April and May and see about one mealybug for every 10 clusters. In fact they might not even notice it. But that mealy bug produces about 20 live young, which increases the count to about one per cluster, but now those adults give rise to 15 or 20 crawlers per cluster which causes clusters to be moist and black,” said Haviland. “So the point is that one or two per cluster can cause many more per cluster near harvest time, so May is the time to be thinking about spraying the first of June.”

Haviland looked back at the tree he was standing next to, and said: “If you have tree that looks like this, with a lot of mealybugs and sooty mold, let it go; you can’t do anything about it. Come back the first week of June 2014 and treat it with an insecticide and you should be clean at harvest next year. It’s really that simple.

Insecticide timing is important, but there is a widow. Of all the products registered, they are most effective on crawlers. “So you really want to get them the first week of June when the crawlers are out regardless of which product your using,” Haviland said.

During the upcoming harvest season, Haviland warn growers to ask the harvest crew to wash down the harvesting equipment and make sure no tree debris from another orchard is on the equipment. “And if growers have an orchard with mealybug, please inform the harvest crews so that they clean the equipment before moving to another site, which may not have mealybug.

“The harvest crew should blow off all leaf trash and hose the equipment down before it goes from property to property. Growers should insist upon this,” Haviland said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:02-07:00April 13th, 2014|

State Failed to Analyze Effects of Kern Water Bank

Source: Bettina Boxall; LA Times

Stewart Resnick

A court ruling issued Wednesday could throw obstacles to the operation of a Kern County groundwater bank that has helped billionaire Stewart Resnick build a nut empire in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

In the latest development in a two-decade legal fight, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge found that the state Department of Water Resources didn’t properly analyze the environmental impacts of the Kern Water Bank, which is partly controlled by Resnick’s Paramount Farms enterprise.

Judge Timothy Frawley will hold a hearing to determine the next step in the case. Environmental groups intend to argue that the water bank should be shut down while the state prepares a new environmental report.

“These guys have spent 16 years avoiding this moment. It’s always been a possibility that a court would come in and shut it down,” said Adam Keats, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which represented plaintiffs in one of two related lawsuits that Frawley decided.

Representatives of Resnick and his wife, Lynda, who also own Fiji Water and POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, referred requests for comment to the water bank, whose attorney could not be reached.

The legal challenges sought to undo changes to the State Water Project that were made as part of a 1994 deal, known as the Monterey Agreement, between the Department of Water Resources and agencies supplied by the project. An earlier round of lawsuits forced the state to issue a new environmental review of the pact, which opponents argued was again insufficient.

Frawley ruled against them on all but one issue involving the water bank.

On that count, the judge concluded that the state’s environmental report failed to adequately assess the effects of the bank’s operation, particularly on groundwater and water quality.

Some neighboring water districts and environmental groups contend that the bank — originally developed by the state, but later ceded to private control — is harming the aquifer.

They also argue that because the groundwater bank is replenished with supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the operation is increasing demand for water from the environmentally fragile delta.

The Monterey Agreements, made behind closed doors, were intended to settle disputes between contractors of the State Water Project, which supplies Southern California cities and some irrigation districts in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

The deal has been controversial since its inception and opponents have spent years trying to overturn its provisions.

In his decision, Frawley rejected most of their most recent claims, finding that except for the water bank, the state’s review met legal requirements.

Next, he has to decide what happens to the bank while the state launches yet another environmental evaluation. “That’s the big question we’re all going to be fighting over,” Keats said.

Paramount Farms is the world’s largest grower and processor of almonds and pistachios; in tandem with their Grower Partners, they farm 125,000 acres that deliver 450 million pounds of nuts.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:52-07:00March 6th, 2014|

Record Crowd of Tree Nut Growers in Turlock

Big Crowd in Turlock for Tree Nut and Vine Expo

More than 800 growers and PCAs were at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds TODAY, to hear from many speakers, visit with hundreds of exhibitors, talk about tree nuts and grape vines, and enjoy breakfast and a barbeque Tri-Tip lunch.

“It was the 18thannual event and with a record crowd. All growers were upbeat following a good harvest and good nut prices. Also, both domestic and export sales are increasing,” said Patrick Cavanaugh, editor of Pacific Nut Producer magazine and co-host of the event.

Exhibitors speak with tree nut growers about products and services

“We are pleased that both the nut and grape industry are doing well in California. All we really need is a lot of rainfall this winter,” said Dan Malcolm, publisher of Pacific Nut Producer as well as American Vineyard magazine, and co-host of the show.

Crowd gathers outside to look over equipment.

Speakers came from UC Davis, Stanislaus County Ag Commissioner’s office, UC Cooperative Extension, Almond Board of California, California Walnut Board, Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, and CalAgSafety.

“We appreciate the support of the event sponsors and the record number exhibitors,” said Cavanaugh.

Ryan Genzoli with Cal Ag Safety speaks.

Sponsors Included:

Agromillora
American Ag Credit
Big Tree Organics
California Walnut Board
Compass Minerals
Dave Wilson Nursery
Diamond Foods
Fresno State Viticulture and Enology Dept.
JKB Energy
Novozymes
Principal Financial Group
Yosemite Farm Credit

Patrick Cavanaugh2021-05-12T11:06:02-07:00November 13th, 2013|

TREE NUTS, EXCEPT PECANS, REMAIN STRONG IN EXPORTS

Tree Nuts, Still the 800-Pound Gorilla

Crash of the U.S. Pecan Market a Cautionary Tale, Says Rabobank

The export market for U.S. almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans continued to grow in 2012, reaching $6 billion dollars and accounting for over 60 percent of U.S. production. In its most recent report, “Riding The Growth Curve – Can U.S. Tree Nut Exports Continue to Defy Gravity?,” Rabobank questions whether this growth will continue. The author of the report, Karen Halliburton Barber, senior analyst, Produce for the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory Group, says that it should, but that the industry shouldn’t rest on its laurels. “Assuming water limitations will not significantly restrict U.S. production, the U.S. tree nut sector still faces the fundamental uncertainty of when supply and demand will stabilize,” said Barber. “That said, the U.S. tree nut sector is in a good competitive position given its leadership in production and trading history.”In the report, Barber examines the main commodities making up the U.S. tree nut sector:

Almonds – “Here, the U.S. is the 800-pound gorilla and accounts for over 78 percent of total global production. This is where the U.S. is clearly in a good competitive position but needs to beware of the oversupply spiral.”

Pistachios – “Iran is slowing down, but they are not out. Water scarcity and weather have caused declines in production in recent years. However, new growth areas are cropping up and competition may heat up in the medium term.”

Walnuts – “This is the only sector where the U.S. is not the predominant global supplier. Although China is a net importer because of its large domestic demand, its share of global production is greater than that of the U.S., providing competition for U.S. walnuts in the Chinese market. An added risk factor is that Chile has begun to compete with the U.S. on quality in key growth markets.”

Pecans – “This segment is the cautionary tale of the report, warning of what could happen if the right factors line up at the same time. In 2012, the U.S. pecan market crashed. Now largely dependent on the global export market, U.S. pecans were hit with competitive pressures from South Africa, while at the same time dealing with lower yields because of weather challenges. The result of these factors was a 50 percent reduction in grower prices for pecans from July 2011 to January 2013.”

The report concludes by noting that the U.S. tree nut sector’s overdependence on the Chinese market poses the greatest challenge. Yet, U.S. producers are poised for growth over the longer term—both in China and globally. The strategy employed by the almond, walnut and pistachio industries of a more balanced buyer/supplier parity approach can help continue to moderate the risk.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-08-12T18:04:52-07:00September 25th, 2013|