State
pesticide regulators are seeking to limit one of farming's most widely used BUG
KILLERS over concerns that it poses a threat to the public and environment.
Chlorpyrifos is used on more than 60 different crops in California, but the
state's Department of Pesticide Regulation wants to make it a restricted
material, meaning county agricultural commissioners can approve or deny its use
depending on conditions. State officials say that while chlorpyrifos is an
effective tool at killing a variety of pests, it also tends to move from the
area of application by air or water….The proposed regulation, which begins a
45-day public comment period Friday, would require that anyone applying the
chemical must be a trained and licensed PROFESSIONAL who also must get a permit
from the county commissioner before spraying. The county commissioner will also
look at site-specific conditions, such as weather and proximity to homes,
schools or other public buildings to prevent drift.
Pesticides
in Salinas air exceed certain levels [Salinas Californian]
The
air breathed in Salinas is mostly free of pesticides, but state regulators said
that two compounds used extensively in strawberry operations will need to be
watched closely. It's the equivalent of the "check engine" light
coming on in your car, according to the state Department of Pesticide
Regulation. The findings are part of DPR's annual air monitoring; the results
of the most recent report are from SAMPLES taken in 2013. Environmental groups,
particularly Pesticide Action Network, or PAN, are criticizing the findings,
accusing the DPR of downplaying the dangers of the levels of pesticides found
in Salinas….The DPR views the findings in a more positive light, noting that of
the 32 pesticides and five breakdown products, 13 could not be detected and 10
were detected at only trace levels.
Klamath
dam owner allots water to feds for drought mitigation [Eureka Times-Standard]
Dam
owner and northwestern power giant PacifiCorp announced Thursday that it will
allot 16,000 acre-feet of water from two of its Klamath Project reservoirs to
the federal government over the next month to ease effects of drought on
irrigators in the Klamath Basin and possibly those of fish in the main stem
Klamath River. The allotment was made as part of the company's August agreement
with the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation to adjust
operation of its Klamath project to make 20,000 acre-feet of reservoir water
available. The extra water will help the bureau meet its mandate to ensure that
the Upper Klamath Lake remains above its minimum water elevations required to
benefit endangered and threatened fish as well as to extend irrigation water
supplies.
Water
shortages not a problem for King fire crews [Sacramento Bee]
Over
the past two weeks, as the King fire raced through dry Sierra forestland before
Thursday’s rain, fire crews had no trouble finding enough water to battle the
blaze, although they have had to get creative to access some lakes and
reservoirs that have shrunk during the state’s severe drought….However, for the
first time ever, Cal Fire crews are documenting all the water they collect.
Every crew is sent into the field with a form to note where they gathered water
and how much. The agency intends to reimburse property owners for lost water or
replace it after the fire, if necessary….For example, Norman said, fire crews
may collect water from a cattle pond. But a rancher may depend on that water
supply to keep his animals alive.
Rain
during grape harvest poses unique situation [KCRA TV, Sacramento]
Although
some rainfall usually would be welcomed by Northern California farmers, some
grape growers said Thursday the showers are hitting right in the middle of the
harvest. Joe Valente with Kautz Farms said if it CONTINUES to rain, the weather
conditions could cause problems. "[Crops] could start to rot, and that's
what we don't want," he said. Valente told KCRA 3 he and the workers on
his farm were able to harvest Wednesday night, but they had to prepare.
"If it would [have] held off for a couple more weeks, it would have been a
little better for us," Valente said.
If
it's what's for dinner, expect to pay more [USATODAY]
Grocery
shoppers facing sticker shock at the supermarket for beef, pork and other meats
should get ready to pay even more in 2014, the federal government said
Thursday, with high prices unlikely to ease any time soon. Estimates for the
growth in retail prices for meats, many of which are sitting at record highs
because of drought and diseases across the country, were increased by the
Agriculture Department in August. The department now expects meat prices to
rise 6.5% in 2014, up from 5.5% forecast a month earlier, and well ahead of the
20-year average increase of 2.9%...."We weren't so much surprised that we
had to raise (beef prices) as we were that demand has remained high for
beef," said Annemarie Kuhns, an economist with USDA's Economic Research
Service who compiles the report….This year alone, food prices across the United
States are forecast to jump 3%, nearly in line with the historical average of
2.6% during the past two decades. USDA said despite the surge in meats, overall
food prices are being kept in check by lower-than-normal increases in breads,
cereals and other packaged goods.
Ag
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