Farmers face labor shortages in the fields [Associated Press]
With
the harvest in full swing on the West Coast, farmers in California and other
states say they can't find enough people to pick high value crops such as
grapes, peppers, apples and pears. In some cases, workers have walked off
fields in the middle of harvest, lured by offers of better pay or easier work
elsewhere. The shortage and competition for workers means labor expenses have
climbed, harvests are getting delayed and less fruit and vegetable products are
being picked, prompting some growers to say their income is suffering….A
California Farm Bureau Federation member survey being conducted this year thus
far has found about half of farmers are experiencing shortages, said bureau
manager Rayne Pegg. Many of the growers say their workforce has decreased by up
to one-third.
Ag
labor board rejects bid to decertify UFW at Gerawan Farms [Fresno Bee]
The
Agricultural Labor Relations Board on Wednesday rejected a petition by farm
workers at Gerawan Farming seeking an election to boot out the United Farm
Workers union. The petition lacked enough valid signatures and many were
forged, the board staff said in a 12-page ruling. Additionally, Gerawan Farming
helped circulate the petition seeking the decertification election, which is
"unlawful," the ruling by regional director Silas M. Shawver
said.…The ruling follows a week of drama in which Gerawan employees submitted a
petition for a union decertification election, then held a rallies in front of
ALRB offices in Visalia and Kerman demanding "Let us Vote."
Enviromental
groups decry new ag rules [Salinas Californian]
Depending
on the point of view, new rules governing agricultural runoff adopted late
Tuesday fall into three distinct categories: the good, the bad or the just
plain ugly….Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau,
said Wednesday it was apparent the Water Board listened to the concerns of
growers who presented their views during public hearings leading up to this
week’s decision. “They softened some of the harder edges of the regulations,”
Groot said. Too much so, according to Steve Shimek, executive director of
Monterey Coastkeeper, a watchdog environmental group….This order, he said, only
requires growers to implement “best management practices” to reduce the amounts
of nitrogen and toxic chemicals that are running off their farms.
Officials
continue to urge water conservation [Imperial Valley Press]
The
Imperial Irrigation District hosted a public workshop Wednesday to discuss the
preservation of the IID’s water rights and the challenges posed by the massive
water transfer at the heart of the Quantification Settlement Agreement. Yet,
more than a year after the IID adopted an alternative approach to the QSA and
less than two months after the validity of the transfer was upheld in court,
the message from the district’s attorneys is essentially the same: The IID and
the farm community must make a reasonable effort to conserve Colorado River
water.…At the center of the issue is the locally unpopular agriculture-to-urban
water transfer and the additional scrutiny the IID can expect as Colorado River
water gets scarce.
US-Japan
deal could lead to more organic options [Associated Press]
The
United States and Japan have agreed to make it easier to import each other's
organic products, the latest step in a global effort that could give consumers
access to more - and cheaper - organic food. The Agriculture Department
announced an agreement Thursday between the United States and Japan that will
allow organic products to be certified in one of the countries and be sold as
organic in both. The agreement will allow producers to sell their products in
both countries without going through the lengthy process of getting certified
twice. The agreement is similar to a 2009 deal with Canada and a 2012 deal with
the European Union. Agriculture officials say they are looking at agreements
with other countries - South Korea, and possibly India, Brazil and Mexico down
the road - that could also make it easier for U.S. organic farmers to sell
abroad.
Commentary: Agriculture is not
just the Sacramento Valley’s heritage; it’s our future [Sacramento Bee]
…Several
years ago, two different groups began to look at the Sacramento Valley for
different reasons but came to the same conclusion – agriculture in our region
is not only our heritage. It is our future. The first group, led by the
Sacramento Area Council of Governments and Valley Vision, was looking for
economic drivers – job builders in a time of scarcity….The second group carried
binoculars and field guides. Biologists from organizations like Audubon and the
Nature Conservancy who once saw agriculture as one of the causes of species
losses were taking a new look….From this new recognition, the region awoke and
appreciation for agriculture grew at the community level.
Ag
Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm
Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may
not be republished without permission. Some story links may require site
registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this
message and please provide your name and e-mail address. For more
information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment