Farmers for Free Trade and Congressman Jim Costa hosted a meeting in Fresno this week to discuss the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Also in attendance was California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross, along with several agricultural organizations representing blueberries, citrus, table grapes, tree nuts, cotton, vegetables, strawberries and many other crops. Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom represented the Association and commented “We need to get this done. Nothing good comes from tariffs. Mexico and Canada are important trade partners for cotton and tee nuts, and we can ill afford to lose market share to other countries who won’t face the same tariffs we do.” Farmers for Free Trade is hosting a national series of USMCA roundtables that will bring together farmers, trade experts, and elected officials in congressional districts across the country to discuss the critical importance of strengthening and renewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ahead of its 2026 review period.

CalOSHA has released their latest proposed changes to the Indoor (§3396) and Outdoor (§3395) Heat Illness Standards. CalOSHA somewhat addressed one of the biggest concerns in the previous draft with regards to the acclimatization requirements. Previously, the draft regulations required a phased-in work schedule for new or returning employees that had been away from the job for more than 14 days.  The phased-in work schedule mandated employees only work 20% of their normal work schedule on the 1st day, 40% on the 2nd  day, 60% on the 3rd day, 80% on the 4th day, and then full schedule on the 5th day. Under the proposed changes, they have now provided an alternative option that requires specific training at the beginning of the shift for each of those same days. They have also provided a less restrictive requirement for returning employees that allows them to work 50% of their normal work schedule on the first day, 60% on the 2nd day, and 80% on the 3rd day. CalOSHA has also added a peculiar new section to both regulations that reads as follows:

The Division may require an employer to take additional actions to prevent employee heat illness in employees through the issuance of an Order to Take Special Action. Such additional actions may include, but are not limited to, the use of wearable technology that monitors the user’s physiological responses to heat stress, where the employer is responsible for ensuring that health data is kept secure and not used to discriminate against employees.

There could be several issues with this kind of requirement, and the Association is looking into these. Comments are due on September 21st and the Association will be weighing in on the proposed changes.

Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom attended an important meeting with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in Bakersfield this week. Hosted by Congressman Vince Fong, close to 30 industry leaders from agriculture, oil, construction, manufacturing and education met with Secretary Lutnick. Isom spoke on the impacts of retaliatory tariffs, especially those on cotton, almonds and pistachios headed to China and on walnuts going to India. Isom highlighted the corresponding lost market share to Australian almonds and Chilean walnuts. Isom commented “Addressing the tariff issue is vitally important, and to have the opportunity to sit next to Commerce Secretary Lutnick and convey it directly to him is huge!”

The Bureau of Reclamation is increasing Central Valley Project 2026 water supply allocations for south-of-Delta contractors reflecting improved water supply conditions and operational flexibility. “Increasing water allocations means more reliable water for California’s farmers, families and communities, supporting food production, local economies and greater affordability,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek. “Reclamation continues to carefully monitor hydrologic conditions and operate the Central Valley Project to make the most efficient use of available water supplies,” said Reclamation’s California-Great Basin Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. “While conditions this year have been dynamic, careful monitoring and water supply management provide for updated water allocations to our south-of-Delta contractors while continuing to meet project operational requirements. We remain committed to working closely with our water users and partners to maximize water supply reliability for California communities, agriculture, and the environment.” Based on current hydrology and updated forecasts, Reclamation is announcing the following changes to CVP water supply allocations:

South-of-Delta Contractors

• Irrigation water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta are increased from 25% to 28% of their contract total.
• Municipal and Industrial water service, and repayment contractors are increased from 75% to 78% of their historic use, or public health and safety needs, whichever is greater.

All other allocation amounts announced May 19 remain unchanged.

An idea that started eight years ago when J.G. Boswell’s Tom Gaffney was our chairman has grown to be a big deal for veterans in San Diego, home to the nation’s largest population of homeless veterans. Gaffney, a navy veteran himself, fully supported the idea when it was presented to the Association by then Senator Toni Atkins and with the Board’s support and the tremendous generosity of Supima, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) has delivered approximately 11,200 pairs of cotton socks made from pima cotton grown right here in California. The Veterans Village of San Diego hosts an annual event known as Stand Down, where an entire weekend is dedicated to helping homeless veterans get back up on their feet with job, medical and housing assistance as well as new clothes. The single most requested item is socks, and CCGGA and Supima are proud to contribute these socks each year.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has announced that all manufacturers of pesticide products containing the active ingredient paraquat-dichloride (paraquat) have voluntarily cancelled their product registrations, beginning the phase-out of the use of paraquat in California. Reevaluation gives DPR the authority to require registrants – the companies that make pesticides – to develop and submit new scientific studies needed to fully understand emerging risks that were unknown at the time of registration. For paraquat, DPR invoked this reevaluation authority to require registrants to submit scientific data by June 5, 2026, to address newly identified gaps in DPR’s human health toxicology database, among other requirements. In lieu of providing required data, companies began voluntarily cancelling registration of paraquat pesticide products in California in April, with the last registrant voluntarily cancelling its registration on August 6, 2026. Under California law, DPR-licensed dealers may continue to possess and sell pesticides that were voluntarily canceled for up to two years following the effective date of each product’s cancellation. Growers who continue to use these products must act in accordance with all applicable label directions, use requirements, and state and federal regulations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for farmers to apply for Stages 1 and 2 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) to Sept. 30, 2026. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing greater flexibility for farmers who experienced quality losses on eligible crops. Now, when applying for this key program, farmers who experienced quality-related discounts can use verifiable and reliable documentation to show quality losses due to natural disasters occurring 2023 and 2024. Farmers also now have the flexibility to use a quality loss percentage for crops having a final use that is different from their intended use. FSA Administrator Bill Beam said “We’re extending the program deadline, giving producers additional time and flexibility to document quality-related losses resulting from natural disasters. Coupled with these program enhancements, the extension helps simplify program requirements, encourages participation, and ensures more eligible producers can access the assistance they need.” SDRP provides more than $16 billion in disaster relief payments to producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, or vines due to qualifying disaster events in calendar years 2023 and 2024. These payments are authorized under the American Relief Act, 2025.

Producers with indemnified losses can apply through SDRP Stage 1, which leverages Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. Eligible producers can receive SDRP payments for both Stages 1 and 2, if applicable, and for one or both calendar years 2023 and 2024, depending on losses.

For more information on SDRP, visit fsa.usda.gov/sdrp. Producers can request an application or make an appointment online with their FSA county office.

Thomas Gibson, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Water Resources. Gibson has been Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Water Resources since 2024, where he was Chief Counsel from 2021 to 2024. He held multiple positions at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014 to 2020, including Deputy Secretary and Special Counsel for Water, Undersecretary, and General Counsel. Gibson held multiple positions at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2007 to 2014, including General Counsel and Assistant Chief Counsel. He held several roles at Best, Best, & Krieger LLP from 2002 to 2008, including Partner and Associate. Gibson was an Associate at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara PC from 1999 to 2002 and at Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard PC from 1997 to 1999. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of California, Davis.

The California Cotton Industry Research Committee, made up from the three principal funding groups for California cotton research, sends out a “Request for Proposal” each year to researchers and educators known to the cotton industry as having interests and involvement in research that could benefit the cotton industry in California. By combining the research funding efforts from these three groups into one, projects are funded through a more streamlined process and effective process. This research request is for 2026-2027 projects. The dead- line for receipt of proposals is 5:00 PM (close of business day) on Monday, August 31, 2026. This is a firm deadline. No extensions will be granted due to the need to reproduce proposals, distribute them to the committee, and allow time for review prior to the Committee meeting. If you have any questions, reach out to priscilla@ccgga.org.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) held a meeting on the 2026 State Implementation Plan Revisions for California Extreme Ozone Nonattainment Areas. At the hearing, more than 90% of the speakers attacked agriculture urging CARB to adopt regulations to reduce emissions from pesticides, fertilizers and a mandatory replacement of agricultural tractors. One CARB Board Member Dr. John Balmes commented “Ag has gotten a free pass from air quality regulations for a long time, and I think it is ridiculous.” Then, the ag member of the board, John Eisenhut, commented that while he has previously supported the use of incentives for tractor replacement, “the time has come to regulate ag tractors”. This was echoed by several of the board members, and a motion was made to include agriculture equipment into the SIP. Despite these comments, there was some lengthy discussion, and coming out of a meeting break, the board rescinded the motion and moved forward with the approval of the SIP as planned, and without a mandatory tractor replacement rule. Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom responded to the comments by stating “It is unfortunate that we could not respond at the meeting to these completely unfounded remarks. It is equally unfortunate and quite surprising that the one agricultural person on the board would advocate for farmers to mandatorily replace their tractors without incentive funds. Agriculture has made huge strides reducing emissions from tractors, pump engines, trucks, ag burning, and dust from farms, and that should have been recognized!”  This was the closest it has ever come to happening, and we will have to fight even harder moving forward.