Earlier this week, Director of Governmental Affairs Jacob Villagomez, Board Chair Julia Inestroza, and Director of Grower Services Diego Cruz traveled to Mecca in Riverside County for a grower meeting with District 3 (D3) citrus growers. During the meeting, Villagomez gave an update on our advocacy efforts and priorities in Sacramento and D.C. on behalf of growers. He also addressed several critical issues that CCM is working on, including:
- Addressing Argentine lemon imports and trade imbalances
- Advocating for restoration of export markets (China, Canada)
- Pushing for increased specialty crop economic support
- Monitoring and analyzing 1,800–2,000 legislative bills in California
- Ensuring new pest management tools are available through DPR
- Advancing legal efforts related to SB 343/SB 54 (packaging/recycling bill)
Villagomez and Inestroza then led a Q&A session, during which growers asked questions and expressed their concerns. Growers shared an update on the lemon crop in D3, current pest pressures, and water concerns. It was good to share ideas and get feedback on the issues affecting our D3 growers, so we can represent them armed with the most up-to-date information in our advocacy efforts.
We were very pleased with the turnout and thank everyone who attended. We would also like to thank Bagdasarian Farms for hosting us.
Our next grower meeting will be in Tulare County in June. We will share more details about this meeting soon.
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