California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: CDFA

  • CDFA Environmental Farming Program Saves Water & Energy

    Recent heat waves have caused California’s energy grid to take a beating, which forced the California Independent System Operator, the entity that operates the state’s power grid, to institute rolling blackouts.

    Fresno County fruit grower Balvinder Purewall points to his variable frequency drive, which saves on energy use when irrigating. His solar array in the background produces energy for use on his farm

    How do California’s farmers and ranchers deal with energy uncertainty during times like this, when the intense heat demands an increase in irrigation? For many years, they have been working to improve both energy and water efficiency of their irrigation systems. And since 2014, CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) has been an important resource for California farmers, providing financial support for long-term efficiency improvements with a focus on greenhouse gas reductions.

    “For many years, SWEEP has been funding grants that help California farmers and ranchers save water and reduce greenhouse gases through reduced energy consumption,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The proactive, hard work of these farmers really shines when the state deals with challenges like the recent heat waves. Our farmers’ and ranchers’ contributions provide us with food security plus a host of other benefits seen through SWEEP efforts, which are invaluable to the state, especially now.”

    Some SWEEP grant recipients, for example, have installed energy efficient technologies such as efficient pumping systems coupled with variable frequency drives to reduce energy demands of irrigation. Other grant recipients have also installed solar and other forms of renewable energy, resulting in less imported energy and thus reducing the strain on the grid. Energy-saving practices like these also result in reduced greenhouse gas production.

    Central Coast citrus and avocado grower Daryn Miller received a SWEEP grant, which helped provide two small solar arrays, one for each irrigation pump, to offset his farm’s GHG production use and save water. The project also included installation of soil moisture and weather sensing technologies that help the farmer make data-driven choices on when and for how long to irrigate his crops.

    “The objective overall was mostly to cut down our energy,” said Miller, “to really see how much water we were using … to get a good idea of where we’re at on a total amount of water and a total amount of electricity, and to essentially create our own little electric grid.”

    Fresno County fruit grower Balvinder Purewal received a SWEEP grant to enhance his 37-acre farm’s irrigation system with a high-efficiency pump, soil moisture sensors, double-line drip system and 25-kilowatt solar array. “The SWEEP program is going to help us save on both water from the ground level and save energy,” he said. This energy savings results in statewide GHG savings by reducing the energy grids reliance of other forms of energy production.

    In 2019 alone, SWEEP supported 122 projects with an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equal to 3,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. This is equivalent to supporting the electricity needs for nearly 550 homes for one year, based on federal EPA equivalency factors. SWEEP utilizes similar incentive strategies to the United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (NRCS:EQIP).

    Scientists tell us that extreme heat days and extreme heat waves are becoming more common in California due to climate change, and reports developed by CDFA in collaboration with several partners and engagement with the farmer community, further highlight the same concerns. With compounding impacts of climate change and other stressors on our environment and natural resources, SWEEP and other CDFA Climate Smart Agriculture programs are helping build a more resilient ‘California For All.’

  • CLas-positive Asian Citrus Psyllid Found in Riverside Commercial Grove

    An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample – confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) – was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Woodcrest area of Riverside County. Confirmed by Citrus Research Board’s Jerry Dimitman Laboratory, this single adult psyllid is the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial citrus grove in California.

    While a positive ACP detection in a commercial grove is cause for serious concern, as of today, HLB has not been detected in any California commercial groves. That said, it is more crucial than ever that we stop the disease from spreading by eradicating the Asian citrus psyllid in commercial groves. The cost to manage the Asian citrus psyllid is far less than any potential costs or loss to the industry should HLB take hold throughout our state.

    An expansion of the HLB quarantine zone will not be established as a result of the CLas-positive ACP detection and CDFA staff is swiftly conducting surveys and collecting samples per the ACP/HLB Action Plan  from the perimeter of all commercial groves and all residential HLB host plants that are located within a 250-meter radius around the find.

    While treatment is not mandatory as a result of the detection, all growers within 250-meters of the find site will be notified to apply insecticides to all HLB host material within the designated area with materials recommended by the University of California (UC).

    Currently, the best way to stop the disease from spreading is to stop the ACP. To stop the ACP, we must restrict its movement and suppress existing psyllid populations. It is critical to follow best practices and review recommendations from the UC on how to protect commercial citrus groves from HLB. Regulations are in place to help prevent the spread of the pest and disease. All growers, packers and haulers must comply with all California Department of Food and Agriculture, county and federal regulations, including quarantines.

    Growers in Riverside County may contact the County Agricultural Commissioner’s office or the CDFA Pest Hotline at 800-491-1899 for additional information. If you see or suspect ACP or HLB symptoms in your grove, please notify the CDFA hotline. – By the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program

  • CA Prune Board Authorized to Continue for Another Five Years

    Following a successful public hearing, the California Prune Board (CPB) has been authorized by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to continue for another five years through July 31, 2025 – without the need for an industry referendum. At the hearing, prune growers and processors voiced unanimous support for the CPB, along with sharing numerous examples of the board’s favorable results on behalf of the California Prune industry.

    “The CPB continuation is a major win for California Prune growers, processors and handlers,” said Joe Turkovich, California Prune grower and Chairman of the California Prune Board. “The board’s work is vitally important to the success of the prune industry. It has carefully considered strategic priorities that will continue building industry momentum for the next five years and beyond.”

    California Prune Board: Delivering Leadership and Value
    The hearing comes amid industry headwinds facing California agriculture in general, such as rising labor costs and increasing regulations. Additionally, the California Prune industry has specific challenges including a global market driven by low prices and smaller, inferior quality imported fruit.

    “We have navigated through many challenges and are currently addressing others – such as tariffs that create major impediments to growing markets – all while knowing there are many challenges around the corner. Yet, we believe in the values the industry has together set forth,” said Donn Zea, Executive Director of the California Prune Board. “Our board and committee members are dedicated to the industry’s success and bring integrity and unique perspective to each discussion. The CPB team around the world is both humbled and proud to join them for the hard work that lies ahead.”

    Together, we have achieved much as a board and as an industry, added Zea, citing examples such as:

    • Securing more than $50 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases of California Prunes during a three-year timeframe (2017 – 2019) for school nutrition programs and food banks
    • Dedicating more than $1.25 million during the past three years to nutrition research to scientifically validate the remarkable health benefits of California Prunes for gut and bone health, as well as
      overall wellness
    • Investing more than $1.3 million during the past three years to crop production research, including important findings and advancements related to mechanical pruning, rootstock anchorage, new varietal development, and pest and disease control
    • Securing $11.4 million in federal grant funding for export programs, while partnering with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) each year to defend, grow and develop international markets
    • Being recognized by FAS as “highly effective” in CPB proposal quality, strategic execution, and financial and regulatory compliance
    • Developing an extensively researched, thoroughly vetted new California Prunes brand to unite the global industry under a cohesive banner to communicate the one-of-a-kind premium nature of California Prunes

    California Prune Board: Building on the Momentum, Advancing Priorities
    With input from numerous industry members and under the leadership of the CPB executive committee, the board has outlined key priority areas to rally the industry’s efforts. Focus areas include:

    • Nutrition research
    • Trade policy and market support
    • Industry unification
    • Production research
    • Global visibility expansion for California Prunes

    “We have listened intently to California Prune growers and handlers to identify these priority areas that will inform our focus, guide our decisions, and ultimately, make a positive and sustained difference for the global California Prune industry,” said Zea.

    California is the world’s largest producer of prunes providing about 40 percent of the world’s supply and more than 90% of the U.S. supply. Today, there are more than 40,000 bearing acres of California Prune orchards concentrated in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.

    ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD
    Created in 1952, The California Prune Board aims to amplify the premium positioning and top-of-mind awareness of California Prunes through advertising, public relations, promotion, nutrition research, crop management and sustainability research, and issues management. The California Prune Board represents approximately 800 prune growers and 28 prune, juice, and ingredient handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans Now Available to Ag

    U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal will reopen today as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the President one week ago, provided additional funding for farmers and ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    “For more than 30 years, SBA has been prohibited by law from providing disaster assistance to agricultural businesses; however, as a result of the unprecedented legislation enacted by President Trump, American farmers, ranchers and other agricultural businesses will now have access to emergency working capital,” said Administrator Carranza. “These low-interest, long-term loans will help keep agricultural businesses viable while bringing stability to the nation’s vitally important food supply chains.”

    Agricultural businesses include businesses engaged in the legal production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). Eligible agricultural businesses must have 500 or fewer employees.

    The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

    For more information, please visit: www.sba.gov/Disaster.

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans Now Available to Ag

    U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal will reopen today as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the President one week ago, provided additional funding for farmers and ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    “For more than 30 years, SBA has been prohibited by law from providing disaster assistance to agricultural businesses; however, as a result of the unprecedented legislation enacted by President Trump, American farmers, ranchers and other agricultural businesses will now have access to emergency working capital,” said Administrator Carranza. “These low-interest, long-term loans will help keep agricultural businesses viable while bringing stability to the national’s vitally important food supply chains.”

    Agricultural businesses include businesses engaged in the legal production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). Eligible agricultural businesses must have 500 or fewer employees.

    The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

    For more information, please visit: www.sba.gov/Disaster.

  • Updated Regs on Bulk Citrus Movement into HLB Quarantine Area

    Effective April 13, 2020, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will revoke Quarantine Commodity (QC) permit number 1486. QC 1486 originally authorized the intrastate movement of bulk citrus fruit from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Bulk Citrus Regional Quarantine Zones 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7, into the Huanglongbing (HLB) quarantine area, without meeting the ACP-free performance standard.

    The motion to revoke QC 1486 was unanimously passed by the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) at a committee meeting on March 11, 2020. CDFA subsequently approved the motion and will begin its implementation this month.

    “While the committee understands this revocation represents a change for a limited number of our industry partners, we have made this science-based decision because we believe the overall benefit these actions will have in protecting the industry against the spread of ACP and HLB will outweigh the added mitigation steps required of our growers and packers,” said Jim Gorden, chairman of the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program.

    Upon the effective date, all shipments of bulk citrus fruit into the HLB quarantine area, Bulk Citrus Regional Quarantine Zone 6, must meet the ACP-free performance standard, which includes field cleaning by machine or a preharvest treatment, and must be accompanied by the ACP-free declaration form. To download the ACP-free declaration form, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pdfs/acp/ACPFreeDeclarationForm.pdf.

    Prior to shipment, growers must also notify the appropriate county agricultural commissioner’s office to which they will be shipping bulk citrus, as stated in the grower’s compliance agreement.

    “The committee based it’s response on the risk-based model, which indicated that movement of unmitigated fruit into the HLB quarantine presents a higher risk than we initially thought,” said Keith Watkins, chairman of the operations subcommittee of the CPDPP. “By potentially shipping psyllids into an area known to have HLB, we’re essentially throwing gasoline on the fire. These changes will not only create more uniform mitigation requirements, but allow us to future proof these regulations for any future HLB detections in new areas of the state.”

    Steps like this are critical in the fight to save California’s citrus industry from ACP and HLB, which has been found in residential areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties at an increasing rate. Now more than ever, it is important for the citrus industry to work together in preventing the spread of this harmful pest and disease.

    To review the full document for citrus growers and grove managers in an ACP bulk citrus regional quarantine zone or HLB quarantine area, please click here.

    For questions regarding this regulatory advisory, please contact Keith Okasaki at Keith.Okasaki@CDFA.ca.gov

  • Detection of Citrus Disease Huanglongbing Triggers Quarantine Expansion in Portions of San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties

    A quarantine has been declared following the detection of the citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in a single citrus tree in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, near Montclair. This is the first time the plant disease has been detected in San Bernardino County. CDFA is working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County agricultural commissioners on this project.

    The 93-square mile quarantine area will link up with existing quarantines in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, creating a contiguous 1,015-square-mile area. The new portion is bordered on the north by I-210; on the south by Chino Airport; on the west by Highway 57; and on the east by Ontario International Airport. HLB quarantine maps for San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties are available online at: cdfa.ca.gov/plant/hlb/regulation. Please check this link for future quarantine expansions in these counties, should they occur. Quarantines are already in place for HLB in portions of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.

    The quarantine prohibits the movement of all citrus nursery stock or plant parts out of the quarantine area. Provisions exist to allow the movement of commercially cleaned and packed citrus fruit. Fruit that is not commercially cleaned and packed, including residential citrus, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and kumquats, must not be moved from the property on which it is grown, although it may be processed and/or consumed on the premises.

    Residents are urged to take several steps to help protect citrus trees:

    • Do not move citrus plants, leaves, or foliage into or out of the quarantine area or across state or international borders. Keep it local.
    • Cooperate with agricultural officials placing traps, inspecting trees, and treating for the pest.
    • If you no longer wish to care for your citrus tree, consider removing it so it does not become a host to the pest and disease.

    HLB is a bacterial disease that affects the vascular system of citrus trees and plants. It does not pose a threat to humans or animals. The Asian citrus psyllid can spread the bacteria as the pest feeds on citrus trees and plants. Once a tree is infected, there is no cure; the tree will produce bitter and misshaped fruit and die within a few years.

    CDFA staff have scheduled removal of the infected tree and are in the midst of a treatment program for citrus trees to knock down Asian citrus psyllid infestations within 400 meters of the find site. By taking this action, a critical reservoir of the disease and its vectors will be removed, which is essential to protect surrounding citrus from this deadly disease.

    CDFA, in partnership with the USDA, local county agricultural commissioners, and the citrus industry, continues to pursue a strategy of controlling the spread of the Asian citrus psyllids while researchers work to find a cure for the disease.

  • 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.