Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Ag Today Tuesday, February 17, 2015


An encore of Valley drought crisis — only worse [Fresno Bee]
The next train wreck in California’s drought is headed for the San Joaquin Valley this week when federal leaders forecast how much river water farmers can expect to irrigate nearly 3 million acres this summer. Most folks in farm country are expecting the same number as last year — zero for both east and west sides of the Valley. Consecutive years of no river water would be another unprecedented body punch from a drought dating back to the winter of 2011-12….This week, the angst will come from the initial forecast of federal water deliveries for summer. No date has been set, but the forecast in years past has usually been made in this week in February. The forecast is important because it involves a huge swath of California’s interior served by the Central Valley Project (CVP), the largest water system in the nation. The CVP is operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

State’s population growth expected to outstrip water conservation in coming years [Sacramento Bee]
California water agencies are on track to satisfy a state mandate to reduce water consumption 20 percent by 2020. But according to their own projections, that savings won’t be enough to keep up with population growth just a decade later….California’s population, already larger than all other Western states combined, is expected to grow 14 percent during that same period, reaching an estimated 44 million people by 2030, according to the state Department of Finance. If those projections hold, the result would be an additional 1 million acre-feet of water demand statewide – about equal to the capacity of Folsom Reservoir – by 2030. This would occur even as people use less water to meet the 20 percent reduction goal.

US labor official looks to untangle West Coast port dispute [Associated Press]
West Coast seaports that were all but shut over the holiday weekend because of a contract dispute are reopening as the nation's top labor official begins his efforts to solve a stalemate between dockworkers and their employers that already has disrupted billions of dollars in U.S. international trade. U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez plans to meet Tuesday in San Francisco with negotiators for both the dockworkers' union and the maritime association, which represents shipping lines that carry cargo and port terminal operators that handle it once the ships dock….After a fruitless meeting Friday between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, President Barack Obama said Saturday that Perez would come west and engage in the talks, which a federal mediator has overseen since early January. Over the weekend, Perez was in touch by phone with both sides.

Study: Ag is foundation of local economy [Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
What would happen to Yuba-Sutter's economy if agriculture suddenly disappeared? A recent study provided the beginnings of an answer to the question by examining the effects of converting agricultural land into uses that are consistent with being in a floodplain — meaning that higher value crops, such as walnuts and almonds, would not be viable. The study, by Stephen Hamilton, professor and chair of economics at California Polytechnic State University, reinforces what is already mostly known: Agriculture is the lifeblood of the local economy, the foundation that props up a number of peripheral industries and provides billions of dollars of indirect benefits to the counties.…The study was commissioned by the Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau and the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency in response to a possible plan from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to widen the Sutter Bypass, a flood control feature in western Sutter County, by either 1,000 feet or 2,000 feet.

Citrus industry gets research funds to help ward off a fruit-destroying disease [Ventura County Star]
WASHINGTON — With more than 20,000 acres devoted to citrus, Ventura County growers are bracing for the onslaught of a disease called citrus greening that has devastated the industry in Florida and Texas. Nationwide, growers and scientists are fighting back with a huge infusion of money for research to save the industry now threatened in Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina….Early detection is the focus of efforts by UC Riverside, said Michael Pazzani, the university’s vice chancellor for research and economic development. The school was awarded a $1.6 million USDA grant to tackle HLB last week. “For California, one of the goals is, as soon as it’s spotted, to eradicate it in a certain area before it can spread,” Pazzani said.

Gene-altered apples get U.S. approval [New York Times]
The government on Friday approved the commercial planting of genetically engineered apples that are resistant to turning brown when sliced or bruised. The developer, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, says it believes the nonbrowning feature will be popular with both consumers and food service companies because it will make sliced apples more appealing. The feature could also reduce the number of apples discarded because of bruising. But many executives in the apple industry say they worry that the biotech apples, while safe to eat, will face opposition from some consumers, possibly tainting the wholesome image of the fruit that reputedly “keeps the doctor away.” They are also concerned that it could hurt exports of apples to countries that do not like genetically modified foods.

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.

Ag Today Friday, February 13, 2015


Congress pressures both sides in ports dispute [Sacramento Bee]
Congressional Republicans and Democrats are working together to reach a rapid resolution of a labor dispute that’s clogging West Coast ports. With crop exports from regions like the Pacific Northwest and California’s Central Valley particularly at risk, more than a dozen lawmakers united Thursday in support of port peace. If nothing else, the rare show of bipartisanship underscored the enduring importance of maritime trade….By some estimates, U.S. agricultural exports through the West Coast ports have fallen by some 50 percent as a result of the ports’ slowdown.

High-speed rail agency behind schedule in buying land [Associated Press]
California's $68 billion high-speed rail project is as much as a year behind schedule in buying the land needed to start construction on the first 29-mile stretch in the Central Valley, rail officials say. The state has bought 122 of the 540 parcels it needs for construction from Madera to Fresno, putting it well behind its own 2012 plan to buy up land and turn it over to contractors, even though officials held a high-profile groundbreaking in Fresno last month with Gov. Jerry Brown. The High-Speed Rail Authority provided the figure as rail officials prepared to go before a state panel Friday seeking approval to start eminent domain proceedings for another 31 properties in Fresno and Madera counties….Stan Felipe, a third-generation farmer in Kings County, south of Fresno, is among those in talks with rail officials about the 10 to 15 acres the state has offered to buy from the 200-acre farm where he grows pistachios, corn and cotton. He said the high-speed rail plans call for a 30-foot vehicle overpass that will slice across his land, cutting off water and access to half his farm.
After receiving what he believes is a below-value appraisal and hundreds of pages of paperwork, the 65-year-old and his wife, Beverly, hired an attorney. Felipe declined to discuss how much he has been offered or how much he is seeking.

Southwest and Great Plains at risk of 21st century 'mega-drought' [Los Angeles Times]
Global warming will bring the "unprecedented" risk of a decades-long mega-drought in the American Southwest and Great Plains during the second half of the century, researchers claim. The forecast, which was published online Thursday in the new journal Science Advances, contrasts sharply with other recent assessments that report greater uncertainty about future droughts, according to study authors. The researchers used historic tree ring data and three drought measures to conclude that there was at least an 80% chance of a 35-year-long drought occurring by the end of this century….Although many scientists agree that California's current drought is the result of natural climate variability, and not the result of global warming, Cook and his colleagues said human-produced greenhouse gasses were increasing the likelihood of future droughts.

Opinion: Old water conflicts open again [Sacramento Bee]
Exactly six months ago, the Capitol’s politicians were hailing a new era of bipartisan comity and cooperation with the overwhelming passage of $7.5 billion in bonds to improve the state’s water supply. Voters, motivated by a severe drought, added their voices three months later with an overwhelming approval of the bond measure, Proposition 1. Now, however, the money must be spent and some of the state’s age-old conflicts over how water should be managed are re-emerging, along with the Capitol’s perennial jousting over who will control the allocation of funds.

Ag labor shortage fuels tech innovation [Salinas Californian]
Any venture investor will tell you problems drive innovation, and nowhere is that more apparent than with the shortage of field workers fueling new automation ideas. Be it low-tech or high-tech, companies are increasingly looking for ways to alleviate the effects of a dwindling supply of farm workers, and the future looks even bleaker….It’s a fear shared by many and echoed by farmers and equipment suppliers visiting this year’s World Ag Expo in Tulare….Farmers in the Salinas Valley have a long history of working with fabricators to build their own harvesters, lettuce thinners and other equipment to save on labor. And over in the Central Valley, dairy operators, nut growers and citrus farmers had a keen interest in mechanized labor-saving innovations.

Mexico and Wal-Mart launch initiative to improve lives of farmworkers [Los Angeles Times]
The Mexican government and Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, have announced steps to improve the lives of the nation's farmworkers, two months after a Los Angeles Times investigation detailed labor abuses at Mexican agribusinesses that supply major U.S. supermarket chains and restaurants. Mexico's secretary of agriculture, Enrique Martinez y Martinez, announced the creation Thursday of a "historic" alliance of produce industry groups that will focus on enforcing wage laws and improving housing, schools and healthcare for the more than 1 million laborers at export farms. The group represents growers and distributors that handle 90% of Mexico's produce exports to the United States, which have tripled over the last decade and now exceed $7.5 billion a year. Separately, Wal-Mart said it is taking action to ensure that workers are treated with "respect and dignity," reminding its in-house buyers that they should buy produce only from farms that meet the company's standards for decent treatment of workers.

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.

Ag Today Thursday, February 12, 2015


Valley cities, counties hopeful but unsure about high-speed rail economic effects [Fresno Bee]
A new economic report prepared by a former Kings County supervisor outlines lingering uncertainty among Valley city and county leaders over how California’s high-speed rail project could benefit their communities. Tony Oliveira, a farmer and economist from the Lemoore area, summarized his report Tuesday to the California High-Speed Rail Authority board in Sacramento. His findings represented the culmination of a yearlong effort that involved combing through city and county general plans and economic development programs, followed by round-table meetings in each of six Valley counties — Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, Tulare and Kern — and one-on-one follow-up interviews with community leaders and community development professionals….The study suggests that while agriculture is and will remain the backbone of the Valley economy, some community and economic leaders in the region believe high-speed rail could be a catalyst for improving the situation.

Work at West Coast ports to scale back for 4 days [Los Angeles Times]
West Coast ports — including the nation's busiest in Los Angeles and Long Beach — will partially shut down for four days as shipping companies plan to dramatically slash dock work amid an increasingly contentious labor dispute. Terminal operators and shipping lines said that they would stop the unloading of ships Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, because they don't want to pay overtime to workers who, they allege, have deliberately slowed operations to the point of causing a massive bottleneck. Thursday is Lincoln's Birthday and Monday is Presidents Day, which are holidays for the workers. Slowing down work "amounts to a strike with pay, and we will reduce the extent to which we pay premium rates for such a strike," said Wade Gates, spokesman for the Pacific Maritime Assn., the employer group representing the shipping companies. The local union in Los Angeles and Long Beach has denied using slowdown tactics.

Detectives share tips on preventing rural farm crime [Visalia Times Delta]
Mike McDougal thought he had started his horse ranch in a quite, safe community, in the Elerwood area of northern Tulare County. That changed last week when his ranch's workshop was burglarized, the thief or thieves making off with about $5,000 worth of his tools. But McDougal's concern about the daytime burglary is less than his worry of what could have happened if his pregnant wife had been at the ranch while he was away and encountered the thieves…."I realize I'm not safe like I thought I was," said McDougal, who on Wednesday was at the World Ag Expo in Tulare to find out what to do to deter anyone from trying to steal anything from his property again.
He was among a group of nearly two dozen farmers who attended the Expo's seminar on rural crime prevention strategies.

Caltrans admits to state water code violations [Eureka Times-Standard]
Caltrans has drilled thousands of undocumented wells during the past 20 years that could be contributing to groundwater contamination throughout California. Caltrans now states its operations failed to follow key provisions of the California Water Code aimed at protecting groundwater. This leaves a legacy of more than 10,000 wells scattered across the state, each with the potential to introduce contagions or contamination into drinking water sources….The California Water Code sets the minimum standards for operations that can contaminate the groundwater within the state. Caltrans spokesman Matt Rocco said the agency has drilled between 450 to 650 geotechnical boreholes annually during the past five years throughout the state. The agency now says these borings were subject to the water code and that it failed to alert county agencies. The section of the water code in question was last updated in 1990. This leaves about 10,000 wells scattered throughout California, which in some cases were drilled without county permits, without checking with county agencies knowledgeable about potential sources of contamination and which may not have been properly sealed to prevent groundwater contamination.

California dairy farmers are mooving to other states [Breitbart California]
Water-starved, regulation-burdened California dairy farmers are taking their cows to other states in hopes of getting cheaper land, more water, and better tax incentives for their businesses. The World Ag Expo in Tulare, California features booths set up by no fewer than seven states–Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Nevada–in an attempt to lure wary California dairy farmers to a more advantageous business climate, according to NBC News. “Increasingly every year, there are more states showing up at the World Ag Expo to entice California dairies to move to their states, and they’re finding a receptive audience,” Western Milling market analyst and commodity manager Joel Karlin told NBC….“In the absence of some of the personal issues, I would move in a heartbeat, because this is just not a fun place to do business anymore,” Tulare dairy farmer Mark Watte told NBC. “All of the California dairymen that want to expand are moving into other states. There has not been a new dairy built in California in probably 10 years, and I don’t think there ever will be another one built.”

Merced County farmers say it’s ‘crunch time’ for rain [Merced Sun-Star]
The Merced area got more than an inch of rain last weekend, but don’t expect any more precipitation for at least a week….Bob Giampaoli of Le Grand, president of the Merced County Farm Bureau, said it’s getting to be “crunch time” for receiving normal amounts of rainfall in this area. He said he was grateful for the weekend rain, which will keep farmers from irrigating in the short term, but is worried about future prospects as the fourth year of drought continues to unfold….Giampaoli said local farmers are looking back to the “Miracle March” of 1991, when late rainfall came to the rescue.

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.