The Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday passed the Agriculture Improvement Act by a vote of 20 - 1. Majority Leader McConnell has committed to consider the bill prior to the 4th of July congressional work period. For the citrus industry and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, many of our policy and resource request were accepted [...]
Late last week, the budget conference committee approved $12.5 million in state funds for the California citrus industry’s ACP and HLB prevention program in the 2018-19 budget. The legislature is under a constitutional deadline to pass a budget by this Friday, June 15. Last year, CCM worked to secure $10 million in state funds for [...]
Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris called on the Senate Agriculture Committee to increase funding for specialty crop research in the 2018 Farm Bill. The letter highlighted the importance of this program funding and the need to protect California producers from disease, pests, and other food production challenges. This initiative is currently authorized at $80 [...]
UC Scientists worked with CCQC to receive a Section 18 for the use of Bactericides against HLB infection. Once that goal was achieved, the team drafted an advisory recommending that Southern California Citrus growers begin using Bactericides as part of their treatment program. Their recommendation states and CCM concurs, that growers should do a minimum [...]
A Sacramento judge granted CDFA’s request to allow the continuance of specific invasive pest programs while they appeal a broader decision that prevents the Agency from continuing emergency eradication programs. Activists achieved a measured victory when the Court ruled late last year that CDFA had not complied with legal issues prior to implementing an emergency [...]
The U.S. Citrus industry has sustained the effort to continue with federal support to detect and eliminate HLB and ACP where possible. Last week the Senate Finance committee concurred that this effort was a priority within the APHIS budget by appropriating for the Multi-Agency Coordination group, research, and operations in citrus producing areas to protect [...]
In the past decade, the citrus industry has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to fight the progression of Huanglongbing in CA. At the same time, the Florida industry has been reduced to a fraction of what it once was in terms of production, acreage, employment, and economic value. In 2009, our industry took unprecedented [...]
California Citrus Mutual and the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program invite packinghouse managers, operations managers and supervisors in Riverside County to attend a roundtable discussion about the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB) on June 14 at the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. The meeting will include updates on ACP and HLB in [...]
First the rhetoric – the Grand Old Party has strongly indicated they are not giving up on the Farm Bill and will attempt to placate a party wing by addressing immigration issues in early June. How immigration issues are addressed is an item of concern for CCM and outreach with a dozen Congressional offices has [...]
Well yes and that has been a factor in the industry’s opposition to allow lemons into the United States from a fruit fly infested area. Trade media was replete with announcements regarding detections in fruit destined for the United States two weeks ago and confirmation from USDA was non-existent after repeated attempts. Finally, CCM and [...]
