California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Economics

  • California Tomato Growers Association Perspective on Industry’s Future

    Processing tomato growers gathered in Modesto recently for the California Tomato Growers Association (CTGA) Annual Meeting. It was a great opportunity for the industry to get together between seasons and discuss current needs and challenges of the industry moving forward. Watch this brief interview with CTGA President Mike Montna as he shares association insights and future prospects for the industry. Read the full proceedings of the annual meeting in the coming issue of Vegetables West Magazine.

  • Consumer Trends to Increase Demand for CA Processing Tomatoes

    Processing tomato growers in California had a great crop last year, and are more efficient than ever before at producing a quality crop as efficiently as possible. But now more than ever, we need to follow consumer trends closely to determine how to better appeal to the consumer audience to increase demand for this great commodity. Watch this interview with with Alec Wasson from the Tomato Products Wellness Council on how they are reaching consumers today. Read more about it in the coming issue of Vegetables West Magazine. Don’t currently receive Vegetables West? Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/vegetables-west-magazine-subscriptions/

  • Challenges and Successes for the California Citrus Industry

    With all the regulatory and economic challenges facing our agricultural industries, California growers understandably have a lot to grunt and complain about; however, if growers see these challenges as opportunities and work together to overcome them, so much more can be accomplished, as has been done in the California citrus industry.  Check out this brief video interview with former President of the California Citrus Mutual, Joel Nelsen, as he explains. Read more about it in the coming issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine.  Don’t currently receive the publication?  Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-fresh-fruit-subscriptions/.

  • International Trade Dispute Impacts CA Citrus Shipments

    The ongoing international trade dispute has disrupted many California agricultural industries which rely heavily on foreign exports, including California citrus.  Watch this brief interview with former President of the California Citrus Mutual Joel Nelsen as he shares how this is impacting citrus shipments.  Read more about the outgoing President of California Citrus Mutual and his outlook for the industry in the coming issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine.  Don’t currently receive the publication?  Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-fresh-fruit-subscriptions/.

  • CA Detections of Citrus Disease HLB up 160 Percent

    HLB infected Tree

    Stakes at All-Time High for Backyard & Commercial Trees in 2019

    Detections of Huanglongbing (HLB), an incurable plant disease that kills citrus trees, increased by 160 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, signaling the growing threat to the state’s iconic citrus trees, landscape and economy.

    HLB is spread by a small pest called the Asian citrus psyllid as it feeds on citrus tree leaves. The disease is not dangerous to humans or pets, but it is fatal for citrus trees and has no cure. Once a tree is confirmed with the disease, it must be removed from the property in order to protect neighboring citrus trees.

    The disease was first discovered in California in 2012 in Hacienda Heights. HLB was detected in 269 trees in 2017 and 699 trees in 2018, with a majority of these occurring in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The disease has not yet been detected in a California commercial grove.

    HLB has devastated commercial citrus production in Florida. Over the course of 10 years, Florida’s commercial citrus industry lost $7.8 billion in revenue, 162,200 citrus acres and more than 7,500 jobs due to HLB. Should the disease spread from backyard trees in Southern California to nearby commercial citrus groves, the livelihood of California’s citrus production could impact about 3,900 farmers and 292,000 acres of citrus production in the state. Commercially grown citrus contributes $7 billion in economic impact to the state and employs more than 22,000 individuals.

    “The livelihood of California’s commercial citrus industry and the generations of families it supports is at risk because of HLB,” said Jim Gorden, a citrus grower in the San Joaquin Valley and chair of the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee. “We are at a crossroads, and we must all work together to do what is necessary to protect our citrus.”

    Asian Citrus Psyllid Adults

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has established quarantines throughout the state that limit the transport of citrus across state and international lines, and between areas where the psyllid and disease have been found. Additionally, CDFA has agriculture crews canvasing the state to inspect backyard citrus trees for the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB.

    “The Department is committed to our partnership with California’s commercial citrus industry and residential citrus growers to fight HLB,” said Victoria Hornbaker, interim director of the citrus program at CDFA. “With more than half of California residences estimated to have a citrus tree on their property, and California citrus production supporting billions of dollars in our state’s economy, we all play an instrumental role in protecting our citrus.”

    California residents play an important role in protecting the state’s citrus trees. Residents should: 

    • Proactively inspect their citrus trees for the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB monthly, and whenever watering, spraying, pruning or tending trees.
      • Adult Asian citrus psyllids are brown, about one-eighth of an inch long, and feed with their body at a 45-degree angle on citrus leaves.
      • Symptoms of HLB include blotchy and yellowing leaves, premature and excessive fruit drop, lopsided fruit, and bitter, inedible fruit.
    • Call the state’s pest hotline at 800-491-1899 if the pest or disease is spotted.
    • Cooperate with agriculture officials who may ask to inspect or treat their citrus tree.
    • As part of tree maintenance, visit a local nursery or garden center to get advice on products that can help protect citrus trees.
    • When pruning citrus trees, be sure to dry out citrus clippings or double bag them before removing the plant material from the property.
    • Refrain from moving citrus plants, foliage or fruit as doing this may unknowingly spread the pest.

    More information and photos of Asian citrus psyllids and HLB symptoms are available at CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.

  • The Recent Romaine Recall and the LGMA

    Although the Center for Disease Control announced on January 9, 2019 that the recent e-coli outbreak is over, there is another part of the story that doesn’t seem to be getting allot of traction. During the investigation the FDA made the comment that based on the spread of the traceback it’s highly unlikely that it originated from a single farm. I don’t have any first-hand knowledge that hasn’t already been publicly disclosed, but I do understand how the produce supply chain works. A single source could be a possible scenario when you think through how one farm can go to multiple processors and terminal markets. There are two troubling allegations floating around about this outbreak that need put to rest.

    First, that the only grower/shipper implicated so far was not a member of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA). The LGMA recently sent out a statement confirming that is accurate so that’s not up for further debate. Since it was formed in 2006 the backbone of the LGMA has been that members voluntarily subject themselves to minimum food safety standards verified through unannounced inspections conducted by California Department of Public Health (CDPH) inspectors. The LGMA was never intended to stop all recalls but that through a HACCP type approach to continuously reduce risk starting at the field. Since the marketing agreement was voluntary the failsafe were the commitments made by some of the largest retailers and food service distributors at the time that their buy side would support LGMA members for West Coast sourced leafy greens.

    Being a member of the LGMA is not cheap. One recent study suggested that the incremental cost per acre since 2006 to abide by all of the minimum food safety standards and inspections that come with LGMA is close to $180 per acre. A non-LGMA farm can have the most stringent standards in the industry on paper. However, without incurring the incremental costs associated with maintaining “trust but verify” standards, supported by unannounced site audits they would have a substantial cost advantage over LGMA members.

    The second issue is how a non-LGMA member can get their leafy greens into the retail and food service channels. Just prior to the outbreak the romaine supply was extremely tight in many areas which was reflected in the USDA Mostly Market reports for romaine. Maybe it’s just coincidence, or maybe there is a hole in the process that the buy side needs to step up and address, especially when the industry is short. This is the second recall situation I am aware of in the past three years where the trace back implicated a California shipper/handler that was not an LGMA member.

    I’m not suggesting that somehow LGMA members have a safer product than anyone else. I am suggesting that we owe it to ourselves as an industry and to consumers to ensure that everyone is at least working from the same floor. How high someone wants to go above that floor is an individual business decision. The LGMA may not be the perfect solution to maintaining minimum standards on an industry wide basis, but right now it’s the only solution.

    If the buy side isn’t going to step up and support LGMA for leafy greens sourced from the West Coast, especially when supplies are tight, then maybe it’s time to rethink it. When everyone is allowed to revert back to their own standards, then we really have no standards which is where we were in 2006.

  • Ag Council of California Works to Ensure Buy American Provision

    Emily Rooney, President of the Ag Council of California recently spoke at the annual Almond Alliance Convention, sharing their organization’s efforts to defend California Agriculture in Sacramento. One of their recent successes has been working with Dr. Pan on the Buy American Provision to ensure that school lunches are not coming from commodities produced outside of the country when they are locally grown in California. Watch her video interview with California Ag Network here to learn more.

  • When Farm Labor gets too Tight, Consider H2A Guestworker Program

    As labor grows tighter, growers are mechanizing their operations as much as possible; however, the need for a solid seasonal labor force is not going away anytime soon. Although not an easy one to utilize, the H2A Ag guestworker program is what more and more growers and farm labor contractors are using to meet their labor needs. Watch this brief interview with Bob Erickson from Foothill Packing and Jeanne Malitz from Malitz Law as they explain the program, and how to get involved in it.