California water officials, local water agencies and farmers have spent the past decade preparing for the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, a historic regulatory framework developed to bring overdrafted aquifers into balance by 2040. Under SGMA, local groundwater sustainability agencies must submit plans that show how the basins will achieve long-term sustainability by […]
The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released today a draft regulation of cancer-causing 1,3-dichloropropene (aka 1,3-D, brand name Telone) that addresses only “occupational bystanders” and relies on completely different assumptions of lifetime cancer risk exposure than the law regulating the same pesticide towards children and residents near agricultural fields. The draft has already been received […]
Robby Robinson, a beekeeper from Leonard, Texas, threw some clothes in his back pack, rustled up some food, kissed his wife goodbye early one October morning and headed to California. His goal was to ask Bitta Toor why he hadn’t been paid for his services. “I just wanted to talk to him face to face. […]
U.S. Reps. David Valadao, Jimmy Panetta, Jim Costa, Mike Thompson, Doug LaMalfa and other members of the California delegation today introduced the Agriculture Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would provide $14 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in support of natural disaster assistance programs for losses experienced in 2023. Earlier this year, economists […]
With cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cows rapidly rising in California, animal health officials continue to try to contain the spread, even as they remain flummoxed by how the virus moves among herds. Based on genetic information of the virus, officials say it appears migratory waterfowl initially introduced H5N1 bird flu to […]
As almond harvest continues statewide, growers say they are focused on their bottom lines, looking for ways to diversify their crop portfolios and identify other income to shore up narrowing profit margins due to lower prices and higher costs. “Cost controls are the biggest problem, so the price you get is absolutely a major factor,” […]
World Ag Expo® offers a look into the latest in innovation and education through the return of the Top-10 New Products contest and Seminar Series. Exhibitors and industry experts can now apply to put their mark on the 2025 show. The Top-10 New Products Competition at World Ag Expo provides a glimpse into cutting-edge technology […]
The plan to build California’s first new major reservoir in decades advances as the state considers whether to issue a water-right permit for the proposed Sites Reservoir, an off-stream water storage project that could store up to 1.5 million acre-feet annually. The California State Water Resources Control Board last week began a public hearing process […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in collaboration with County Agricultural Commissioners, are proud to announce that after a year of hard work we have eradicated all populations of invasive fruit flies from California. This significant achievement is a […]
With more California walnut orchards being removed, the outlook for the industry is expected to improve as growers try to balance supply and demand. But such efforts alone will not be enough to put them on a fast track to market recovery and profitability, analysts suggest. A new report by RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness says […]