USDA RESTRICTS THREE PACA VIOLATORS IN CALIF. AND NJ FROM OPERATING IN THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY

Two Produce Businesses in California Sanctioned for Failure to Pay Reparation Awards

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), two of which are in California.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

Fratelli Farms LLC, operating out of Hollister, Calif., for failing to pay a $5,754 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Guillermo Regalado and Johnny Regalado were listed as members of the business.

2 Mex Produce, operating out of Santa Maria, Calif., for failing to pay a $23,190 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Arcelia Partida and Julio Partida were listed as partners of the business.

High Point Marketing of NJ Inc., operating out of Ridgewood, N.J., for failing to pay a $30,961 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Michael E. Pflueger was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanction on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA, which includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. All oversight of actions related to PACA are conducted by AMS, an agency within USDA.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 5,000 claims filed under PACA involving almost $96 million. This is just one more way USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

CDFA LAUNCHES NEW FARM-TO-FORK WEB SITE

Farm-To-Fork Web Site Connects Consumers To California Agriculture
CDFA is pleased to announce TODAY the California Farm to Fork web site, a place to highlight programs and projects that focus on sourcing, marketing and increasing the use of California crops.
The web site features links to a page that shows what crops grow in certain regions at specific times of the year, and also profiles local efforts to increase access to healthy foods at various locations throughout the state. As the site evolves, it will include additional information and resources about California crops as well as other agricultural products, like grains, meats and dairy.
CDFA’s Farm-to-Fork Office, an interagency initiative with the California Department of Public Health and California Department of Education introduced the web site. The agencies are working together to help all Californians eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
To increase access to healthy, nutritious food for everyone in the state, this site will connect consumers, school districts, and other groups directly with California’s farmers and ranchers, and also provide additional information about our state’s magnificent bounty.
2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

USDA CREATES MULTI-AGENCY EMERGENCY RESPONSE FRAMEWORK TO COMBAT HLB

USDA Providing $1 million to Jump Start Citrus Response Framework
The U.S. Department of Agriculture TODAY announced the creation of a new, unified emergency response framework to address Huanglongbing (HLB). This new framework will allow USDA and its many partners to better coordinate HLB resources, share information and develop operational strategies to maximize effectiveness.
“USDA listened to the citrus industry’s request for more urgency and greater coordination on the response to HLB and is implementing an emergency response structure,” said Secretary Tom Vilsack. “To jump start this initiative and affirm our commitment to industry, USDA is also providing $1 million to be used in support of research projects that can bring practical and short-term solutions to the growers in their efforts to combat this disease.
Through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative of the Farm Bill, USDA has provided $9 million in research to blocking the ability of insects to spread HLB to healthy trees. We need Congress to quickly pass a new Farm, Food, and Jobs Bill that continues to support this kind of research to protect a crop worth more than $3 billion in the last harvest.”
The new framework will bring together USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), along with state departments of agriculture and the citrus industry into a Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Group for HLB. It will provide industry with a single contact for all the federal and state entities that work on citrus issues and better enable the collective to collaborate on policy decisions, establish priorities, allocate critical resources, and collect, analyze, and disseminate information.
The HLB MAC Group will also help coordinate Federal research with industry’s efforts to complement and fill research gaps, reduce unnecessary duplication, speed progress and more quickly provide practical tools for citrus growers to use.
HLB, also known as citrus greening, is named for the green, misshapen, and bitter-tasting fruit it causes. While this bacterial disease poses no danger to humans or animals, it has devastated millions of acres of citrus crops throughout the United States and abroad. In the United States, the entire States of Florida and Georgia are under quarantine for HLB, and portions of California, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas are also under quarantine for the disease. The U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are under HLB quarantines as well.
You can find more information about HLB and the HLB MAC Group on USDA’s Multi-Agency Response toDevastating Citrus Disease website.
2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

Join Farm Bureau, Get Discounts!

Farm Bureau Members 
Get Fuel Discounts
Businesses belonging to Farm Bureau in California now qualify for discounted fuel purchases through Flyers Energy.

The California Farm Bureau Federation has named Flyers Energy as its preferred fuel supplier.


Flyers Energy is the largest member of the Commercial Fueling Network (CFN) and also offers fueling at 230,000 locations nationwide with the Flyers Fleet Card.

Under the new program, businesses with a Farm Bureau membership will benefit from a 3 cent per gallon discount on fuel purchased with the Flyers CFN card. The Farm Bureau discount also includes a 2 cent per gallon savings at retail sites everywhere the Flyers Fleet Card is accepted, plus a special rate on bulk-delivered fuel.

Electronic security features on the Flyers Fleet Card improve fuel tracking and security, to reduce risk associated with the fueling of company vehicles by employees. Controls are programmed into the fuel cards and include parameters such as time and day restrictions, gallon limits and e-receipts.

Information for Farm Bureau members about how to use the discount is available on the CFBF website at http://www.cfbf.com/benefits/fuel or by calling toll-free, 800-698-3276. 

Flyers Energy, based in Auburn, franchises the Flyers fuel brand and distributes wholesale and branded retail fuel, commercial lubricants, renewable fuels and solar power.

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

Farmers: Save Money PG&E Rebates

Farmers Can Save with PG&E’s

Low Pressure Sprinkler Nozzle Rebate

Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) rebate can cover some of the cost of the installation of qualified low pressure sprinkler nozzles.

Replacing high-pressure sprinkler nozzles with low-pressure sprinkler nozzles enables a reduction to the irrigation system’s operating pressure, thus reducing the energy it takes to run the pumps-yet still distribute the same volume of water crops need, with fewer line breaks and less maintenance.

PG&E’s local department will handle all the rebate applications. Local PG&E representatives should be contacted if low pressure nozzles were installed in 2013 or if you would like more information for future installations.

Questions, contact Kuyler Crocker at 559-263-5908

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

FARM BILL EXTENSION PASSED THROUGH JANUARY 2014

House Extends Farm Bill 1½ Months
 
The U.S. House of Representative passed an extension of farm law TODAY through the end of January as lawmakers try to finish work on a new five-year farm bill.

The Senate and the House each passed farm bills this year; however they differ on the extent of cuts to the federal food stamp program and restructuring of farm subsidies.

The House passed the extension today amid fears that the dairy subsidy expiration at the end of the year will cause milk prices to rise. But Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has assured Congress that will not happen before the end of January.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate would not pass an extension because it is unnecessary. Some senators argue an extension could reduce pressure to pass a farm bill.

Source: Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press, Dairy Today

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

Possible Help for California’s Dairy and Poultry Industry

Editor’s Note: TODAY’s news may be a good start to stop growing corn for fuel instead of food. When this stops, it will help the dairy and poultry industries in Calif. We support this Act.

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and eight cosponsors today introduced the Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2013. The bill eliminates the corn ethanol mandate within the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires annual increases in the amount of renewable fuel that must be blended into the total volume of gasoline refined and consumed in the United States.

Cosponsors of the bill are Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bob Corker, (R-Tenn.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.).

Senator Feinstein said: “I am pleased to join Senator Coburn and others on a bill to eliminate the federal corn ethanol mandate from the Renewable Fuel Standard, while maintaining provisions designed to grow the low-carbon biofuel industry.

“Under the corn ethanol mandate in the RFS, roughly 44 percent of U.S. corn is diverted from food to fuel, pushing up the cost of food and animal feed and damaging the environment. Oil companies are also unable to blend more corn ethanol into gasoline without causing problems for automobiles, boats and other vehicles.

“I strongly support requiring a shift to low-carbon advanced biofuel, including biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol and other revolutionary fuels. But a corn ethanol mandate is simply bad policy,” noted Fienstein.

Senator Coburn said: “The time to end the corn ethanol mandate has arrived. This misguided policy has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, increased fuel prices and made our food more expensive.

Eliminating this mandate will let market forces, rather than political and parochial forces, determine how to diversify fuel supplies in an ever-changing marketplace. I’m grateful my colleagues on both sides on the aisle are prepared to take this long-overdue step to protect consumers and taxpayers from artificially high fuel and food prices.”

The Renewable Fuel Standard, first enacted in 2005, requires refiners and blenders to use 16.55 billion gallons of renewable fuel in 2013. More than 13 billion gallons of this total will be met by the use of corn ethanol, a level that will increase in subsequent years.

There are two key problems with continuing to mandate the consumption of more and more corn ethanol each year:

·      Corn consumption: Approximately 44 percent of U.S. corn crop is used to produce ethanol, artificially inflating food and feed prices while damaging the environment.

·      Blend wall: As gasoline consumption declines, refiners face a “blend wall” when the RFS mandate exceeds the limit at which ethanol can be blended into the fuel supply, determined to be 10 percent of total gasoline consumption.

The Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2013 solves both problems by removing the top-line mandate for renewable fuels, while leaving mandates for non-corn ethanol advanced biofuels untouched.

This action eliminates the unnecessary pressure on corn prices, allowing the multi-billion dollar corn ethanol industry to compete directly with oil based on price and quality, not mandates.

The reduction of total RFS-mandated volumes would also eliminate the threat of the blend wall.

Refiners will continue to blend corn ethanol into the fuel supply in the absence of a mandate, as ethanol is the preferred octane booster used to increase the efficiency of gasoline. Even without a mandate for its use, the economic benefits of mixing ethanol into gasoline would remain.

This proposal has strong support from the prepared food industry; dairy; beef; poultry; oil and gas; engine manufacturers; boaters; hunger relief organizations; and environ

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 13th, 2013|

FDA TAKES SIGNIFICANT STEPS TO ADDRESS ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

Agency Implementing Plan To Ensure Judicious Use Of Antibiotics In Food Animals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration TODAYis implementing a plan to help phase out the use of medically important antimicrobials in food animals for food production purposes, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency. The plan would also phase in veterinary oversight of the remaining appropriate therapeutic uses of such drugs.

Certain antimicrobials have historically been used in the feed or drinking water of cattle, poultry, hogs, and other food animals for production purposes such as using less food to gain weight. Some of these antimicrobials are important drugs used to treat human infection, prompting concerns about the contribution of this practice to increasing the ability of bacteria and other microbes to resist the effects of a drug. Once antimicrobial resistance occurs, a drug may no longer be as effective in treating various illnesses or infections.

Because antimicrobial drug use in both humans and animals can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, it is important to use these drugs only when medically necessary. The plan announced today focuses on those antimicrobial drugs that are considered medically important (i.e., are important for treating human infection) and which are approved for use in feed and water of food animals.

In a final guidance issued TODAY, the FDA lays out a road map for animal pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily revise the FDA-approved use conditions on the labels of these products to remove production indications.

The plan also calls for changing the current over-the-counter (OTC) status to bring the remaining appropriate therapeutic uses under veterinary oversight. Once a manufacturer voluntarily makes these changes, its medically important antimicrobial drugs can no longer be used for production purposes, and their use to treat, control, or prevent disease in animals will require veterinary oversight.

The FDA is asking animal pharmaceutical companies to notify the agency of their intent to sign on to the strategy within the next three months. These companies would then have a three-year transition process.

“Implementing this strategy is an important step forward in addressing antimicrobial resistance. The FDA is leveraging the cooperation of the pharmaceutical industry to voluntarily make these changes because we believe this approach is the fastest way to achieve our goal,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor. “Based on our outreach, we have every reason to believe that animal pharmaceutical companies will support us in this effort.”

In order to help phase in veterinary oversight of those drugs covered by the guidance that are intended for medically appropriate uses in feed, the FDA also has issued a proposed rule to update the existing regulations relating to Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) drugs. The use of VFD drugs requires specific authorization by a licensed veterinarian using a process outlined in the agency’s VFD regulations. The VFD proposed rule is intended to update the existing VFD process and facilitate expanded veterinary oversight by clarifying and increasing the flexibility of the administrative requirements for the distribution and use of VFD drugs. Such updates to the VFD process will assist in the transition of OTC products to their new VFD status.

“This action promotes the judicious use of important antimicrobials to protect public health while ensuring that sick and at-risk animals receive the therapy they need,” said Bernadette Dunham, DVM, Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “We realize that these steps represent changes for veterinarians and animal producers, and we have been working — and will continue to work — to make this transition as seamless as possible.”

The guidance for animal pharmaceutical companies is now in final form, and the proposed VFD rule is open for public comment for 90 days starting tomorrow, Dec. 12, 2013. To electronically submit comments on the proposed VFD rule, go to www.regulations.gov and insert docket FDA-2010-N-0155. Send written comments to the Division of Dockets Management, Food and Drug Administration, Room 1061, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852.

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 12th, 2013|

Farm Bureau Announces Winners of Open Discussion Meet

Kings County Woman Wins the Farm Bureau Open Discussion Meet

(From Dave Kranz, California Farm Bureau Federation News)

Effective discussion of how Farm Bureau can engage farmers and ranchers to promote agriculture earned a Kings County woman first place in the annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Open Discussion Meet, held during the California Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Monterey.

Beth Sequeira of Hanford said during the finals of the annual competition that Farm Bureau has taken on the role of communicating an accurate message about agriculture. The Discussion Meet encourages cooperation and communication and is designed to prepare young members for county Farm Bureau and committee meetings.

As winner of the contest, Sequeira will represent California at the American Farm Bureau Federation Open Discussion Meet, to be held next month at the AFBF Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Sequeira works for Keenan Farms, a pistachio grower-handler in Kings County, handling sales and marketing duties.

“I’m really excited. We had a great group of panelists on the final four and had a really good discussion,” she said.

Mary Junqueiro of San Joaquin County was first runner-up in the contest. The other finalists were Molly Fagundes of Merced County and Andrea Krout of Sonoma County.

As the Open Discussion Meet winner, Sequeira earned a 2014 Sportsman 570-efi all-terrain vehicle—valued at $6,800—courtesy of Polaris Industries, and $4,000 courtesy of Discussion Meet sponsors the California Association of Pest Control Advisers, State Compensation Insurance Fund, Southern California Edison, Dick and Cathie Bradley, Farm Credit West, CoBank and American AgCredit. As first runner-up, Junqueiro received $1,000. The other two finalists each earned $500.

The separate Collegiate Discussion Meet was won by Jake Carlson of California State University, Fresno. Carlson, from Elk Grove, is an animal science, pre-veterinary, major at Fresno State.

First runner-up in the collegiate contest was Audra Roland, a Fresno State student from Tollhouse. The other finalists were Jodi Raley, a Fresno State student from Clovis, and Leah Gibson, a Chico State student from Paso Robles. Fresno State also won the team competition in the Collegiate Discussion Meet.

Carlson earned a $1,250 prize as winner of the collegiate contest. Roland earned $750 and the other finalists each earned $500. Prizes in the Collegiate Discussion Meet were sponsored by Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers.

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 78,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.

2016-05-31T19:42:29-07:00December 12th, 2013|

Pressure Amounts Against Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Big Pressure Against BDCP

According to Families Protecting The Valley there is enormous pressure from opponents of the BDCP.

There is a lot of reaction from those opposed to the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).  The 34,000 pages of the plan were released Monday afternoon and reaction came fast, within hours. 

If you read the quotes below you will see that opponents are ready to fight to the end.  People around the Delta and environmental groups are very engaged in this issue.  In the Central Valley only farmers are aware of this effort. 

In Southern California, we’re not even sure they know where they get their water, or that a battle is being waged.  The Metropolitan Water District, however, is the 800-lb gorilla and knows full well.  But, the beachgoers are blissfully unaware. Don’t let that fool you.  When they need water, there are 20-million of them and they will get water. 

Northern California has water and Southern California will get their water, but the question remains for Central California farmers:  will we be left in between with nothing? 



It is interesting to note how the environmentalists continue to cleverly use these water fights. For instance, the lawyer for Friends of the River appears to be helping the farmers and their water rights. Yet, Friends of the River is the primary opposition to expanding the flood spillway for the Merced River. This project paid for by the water users (Merced Irrigation District) would yield 70,000 acre-feet of increased capacity during wet years to help offset the ground water overdraft here on the East Side of the San Joaquin Valley.

Friends of the River claims the proposed law sets a precedent against the Wild and Scenic Rivers act even though the law’s language specifically prohibits that.

We don’t mean to be one-sided with this presentation as we will have a lot more to say about this, but it is necessary to understand the depth of the opposition to this plan.




Quotes:



“Friends of the River and its allies will fight to save our rivers, the Delta, the Bay and the fish from the water tunnels in the public arena, in the courts when it is time for months, years, decades, for as long as it takes.” – Bob Wright, Senior

Counsel for Friends of the River



”This water grab is not likely to survive legal challenges for violations of endangered species, water quality, environmental review and water code statutes.  Should it though, a fatal obstacle still remains.  Before a single spade of dirt is turned, we will trigger a full legal adjudication of Central Valley waters.” – Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance


“The BDCP from our perspective can be best described as a triple platinum lie – that is, they promised that they are going to save the salmon, but in fact, most likely it’s going to destroy our salmon resources and with them, our salmon fisheries.” – Zeke Grader, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations



“Taxpayers are being asked, pardon me they are not being asked … there are special interests that are going to saddle property tax payers and water users throughout California with about $50 billion of debt.” – Jonas Minton, Water Policy Advisor with the Planning and Conservation League



“We’re being asked to sacrifice the greatest estuary on the west coast of the Americas, we’re being asked to sacrifice the largest strip of prime farmland in the state of California, sustainable Delta farms, we’re being asked to sacrifice upstream rivers, part of our Wild and Scenic heritage, we’re being asked to sacrifice Northern Californians groundwater supply…” – Barbara Berrigan-Parilla, Executive Director with Restore the Delta



”Once more, Gov. Brown’s administration has proposed essentially the same thing: giant tunnels and huge price tags that would create environmental destruction and not resolve the state’s water demand needs.” – Kathryn Phillips, Director Sierra Club California



“There is little doubt that the massive tunnels will drain the Sacramento River and North State aquifers, diminish vital flows into the already stressed Delta, further stress native salmon runs, and destroy 150-year-old family farms to benefit unsustainable corporate agribusiness on the west-side of the San Joaquin Valley.” 
– Barbara Vlamis, Executive Director of AquAlliance.



“I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that the Delta is protected by advocating for alternative measures which are less destructive, such as water conservation…” – Delta Assemblyman Jim Frazier



“It’s time to put more effort into a viable alternative, a Plan B — a more affordable, less divisive and more achievable path forward.” – State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Solano



“These documents are a whitewash of a white elephant. The BDCP is a sham and a scam — fluffy propaganda for a project that will burden ratepayers and taxpayers with ruinous debt for the benefit of a few hundred corporate farms.” – Carolee Kreiger, California Water Impact Network (C-WIN)



“It’s likely that years, or even decades, will pass before the issue is resolved one way or the other.” – Dan Walters/Sacramento Bee


 

2016-05-31T19:42:30-07:00December 11th, 2013|

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