Left to right: Kuyler Crocker, Casey Creamer, Jacob Villagomez, Jared Plumlee, Julia Inestroza, Assemblymember Vince Fong, Assemblymember Suzette Valladares, Keith Watkins, Ariana Joven, Matt Fisher, Thomas Wollenman, Lisa Tate
The California Citrus Mutual (CCM) team headed to Sacramento this week to meet with legislators and regulators on issues critical to the citrus industry. The team consisted of a select group of CCM board members, committee members, growers and staff.
The discussions focused mainly on issues involving water, pesticides and the regulatory principles used to guide decision-making. Growers stressed the importance of allocating more water to valley farms, the need to capture more water, recharge during wet times, and noted pest management concerns for citrus growers.
CCM staff and growers were able to meet with several department heads including Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary, Karen Ross; Bureau of Reclamation Regional Director, Ernest Conant; State Water Recourses Control Board Vice Chair, Dorene D’adamo; Department of Water Resources Director, Karla Nemeth; and Department of Pesticide Regulation Director, Julie Henderson. The group also had the opportunity to meet and socialize with Assemblymembers Jim Cooper, Vince Fong, Mike Fong, Suzette Valladares, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Devon Mathis, Jim Patterson and Senators Melissa Hurtado, Steve Glazer and Bob Wieckowski.
Due to COVID-19, this was the first time CCM has been able to visit Sacramento with growers for our Government Relations Trip in three years. While post- COVID Sacramento is a much different environment than it used to be, the trip provided valuable in-person contact with our state’s decision makers and provided the opportunity to re-establish relations after a hiatus.
We would like to thank those growers who accompanied us to Sacramento for sharing their stories, struggles and providing industry insight and issues they face every day with our state’s leaders.
Articles are property of CCM; please seek permission from CCM for the use of articles.
