Ag Today Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lawmakers pushing to tie California minimum wage to consumer price index [Sacramento Bee]

Assembly Bill 1439 by Assemblyman Luis Alejo would prohibit the minimum wage from being lowered as consumer prices fall but would mandate increases as prices rise. The indexing would be expected to hike the minimum wage about 14 cents next January, but more importantly, it would set the stage for what could be annual hikes in years to come. Alejo, D-Watsonville, bills his measure as a way to boost the economy by putting more money in the pockets of workers struggling to provide food, clothes and housing for their families….The state Chamber of Commerce has labeled AB 1439 a "job-killer" bill. Other opponents range from the California Restaurant Association to the California Farm Bureau Federation.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/24/4436958/lawmakers-pushing-to-tie-california.html#storylink=misearch

Report finds wave of Mexican immigration to U.S. has ended [Los Angeles Times]

Net migration from Mexico to the United States has come to a statistical standstill, stalling one of the most significant demographic trends of the last four decades. Amid an economic downturn and increased enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, the number of Mexicans coming to the United States dropped significantly, while the number of those returning home increased sharply over the last several years, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center….The report attributes the changes to several factors, including the weakened economy, increased border enforcement, a rise in deportations, growing dangers at the border and a long-term decline in Mexican birthrates. Which factor is dominant is still unknown.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immigration-20120424,0,27569.story

Capitol awash in Delta canal bills [Stockton Record]

It's a big day for the Delta at the state Capitol as legislators debate three bills intended either to add accountability to state water plans or to prematurely torpedo them - depending on which side you believe. The bills by Delta-area lawmakers all target the proposed peripheral canal or tunnel, which would divert water around the estuary on its way to cities and farms up and down the state. The most prominent of today's bills would require a full cost-benefit analysis before a canal or tunnel could be built.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120424/A_NEWS/204240315&cid=sitesearch

US asparagus industry sees slight recovery [Associated Press]

Asparagus farmers crushed for decades by a flood of South American imports have begun to expand production again in the hope that healthy eating trends and demand for homegrown vegetables will help bolster prices and sales of their stalks….California, the leading producer, has seen acreage decline by a third since 1990. In No. 2 Washington state, production collapsed from more than 100 million pounds that year to just 17 million pounds in 2010. It recovered slightly last year, and strong prices and new varieties that hold the promise of bigger harvests have farmers hopeful again….Growers in California, where the asparagus season typically runs from Mid-March through June, are replacing old plants with new ones but don't expect to add a lot of acres, said Cherie Watte Angulo, executive director of the California Asparagus Commission.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/24/4437262/us-asparagus-industry-sees-slight.html#storylink=misearch

Analysis: Dow's new corn: "time bomb" or farmers' dream? [Reuters]

A new biotech corn developed by Dow AgroSciences could answer the prayers of U.S. farmers plagued by a fierce epidemic of super-weeds. Or it could trigger a flood of dangerous chemicals that may make weeds even more resistant and damage other important U.S. crops. Or, it could do both. "Enlist," entering the final stages of regulatory approval, has become the latest flashpoint in the debate about the risks and rewards about farm technology. With a deadline to submit public comments on Dow's proposal at the end of this week, more than 5,000 individuals and groups have already weighed in. Dow Agrosciences, a unit of Dow Chemical Co, hopes to have the product approved this year and released by the 2013 crop.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/24/us-usa-food-24-d-idUSBRE83N04I20120424

State's sole organic cotton grower caters to fashionistas [Fresno Business Journal]

Don Cameron knows how to please choosey cotton buyers….Cameron farms a total 27 crops that are produced using conventional, organic and genetically methods….The idea of growing organic and GMO crops on the same farm has created some shock among organic buyers, but Cameron insists that a farmer can produce both as long as fields are far enough apart to prevent pollen from the GMO crops drifting onto the organic fields. Contamination rarely happens, he asserts, adding that when it does, corn is usually the culprit. Cameron also believes that organic crops could benefit from some genetic modification. But the organics industry is far from accepting that concept.

http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/agriculture/1608-farm-has-cotton-for-every-buyer

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