The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published the 2024 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary. The summary shows that more than 99 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Each year, USDA and EPA work together to identify foods to be tested on a rotating basis by the PDP. In 2024, tests were conducted on 9,872 samples from 19 commodities of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, nuts and fish. AMS partners with cooperating state agencies to collect and analyze pesticide residue levels on the selected food commodities. USDA tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. EPA relies on PDP data to conduct dietary risk assessments and to ensure that any pesticide residues in foods remain at or below levels that EPA has set. The data also provide regulators, farmers, processors, manufacturers, consumers and scientists with important insights into the actual levels of pesticide residues found on widely consumed foods.

The annual pesticide residue results are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA in monthly reports as testing takes place throughout the year. FDA and EPA are immediately notified if a PDP test discovers residue levels that could pose a public safety concern. In 2024, over 99 percent of the samples tested had residues below the tolerances established by the EPA with 42.3 percent having no detectable residue. Appendixes B, C, and D provide a distribution of residues by pesticide and their metabolites for the commodities tested. Residues exceeding the tolerance were detected in 0.77 percent (76 samples) of the total samples tested (9,872 samples). Of these 76 samples, 12 were domestic (15.8 percent), 63 were imported (82.9 percent), and 1 was of unknown origin (1.3 percent). Residues with no established tolerance were found in 3.7 percent (361 samples) of the total samples tested (9,872 samples). Of these 361 samples, 118 were domestic (32.7 percent), 230 were imported (63.7 percent), and 13 were of unknown origin (3.6 percent).  Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables accounted for 9,165 samples or 92.8 percent of the total 9,872 samples collected in 2024. Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables tested during 2024 were: apples, avocados, blackberries (fresh and frozen), cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, onions, oranges, pineapples (fresh and frozen), potatoes, canned pumpkin, sweet corn (fresh and frozen), and tomatillos. Almonds accounted for 531 samples, or 5.4 percent of the total number of samples collected in 2024. Salmon accounted for 176 samples, or 1.8 percent of the total number of samples collected in 2024. Domestic samples accounted for 60.1 percent of all samples, while 38.9 percent were imports, 0.9 percent were of unknown origin, and less than 0.1 percent were of mixed national origin.

The American Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) will be conducting its annual International Cotton Institute June 2 through July 9 in Memphis, TN at the East Memphis Hilton. This in-depth six-week residency program is designed to teach the entire U.S. cotton supply chain to participants who seek to gain knowledge beyond their immediate scope. It has amassed an impressive list of alumni over its nearly six decades of existence and features a faculty of cotton industry leaders that is second to none. The Institute is a comprehensive six-week residency program during June and July taught by the most influential leaders in the U.S. and global cotton industries. Its greatest strength lies in the depth of expertise provided by its faculty and the practical, real-world perspective they bring. In addition to classroom instruction, participants engage in extensive field visits that provide hands-on exposure to production, ginning, warehousing, classing, merchandising, and spinning. Participants also attend the ACSA Annual Convention, interact directly with ACSA members, and visit Cotton Incorporated’s headquarters to gain insight into research, promotion, and supply-chain integration. Living and learning together throughout the program fosters professional relationships that endure across careers and continents.

ACSA is a trade association founded in 1924 and primarily composed of cotton merchants who collectively handle the vast majority of U.S. cotton production and foreign growths traded globally. Our members provide critical services across merchandising, delivery logistics, and risk management. As global cotton consumption has increasingly shifted toward export markets, ACSA’s role has grown in importance, strengthening relationships across the entire international supply chain. A cornerstone of this effort is the ACSA International Cotton Institute (ICI). For more than six decades, the ICI has served as one of the most respected educational programs in the global cotton industry. It advances practical knowledge in production, ginning, warehousing, fiber quality, classing, logistics, risk management, and the full scope of U.S. cotton marketing and movement. The Institute has trained generations of professionals who now serve as leaders across production, mills, merchant firms, and supply-chain organizations worldwide. For more information, please contact the American Cotton Shippers Association at 901-525-2272.

Cotton & Coffee is Next Week – Tuesday, January 20th, at 7:30 a.m. Central. 

We hope you’ll join us next week to learn how Cotton Incorporated’s Cottonseed Research and Marketing Program explores innovations such as enhanced handling characteristics, new storage solutions, cottonseed oil, and opportunities for whole cottonseed as a high-energy feed for cattle.

Join Zoom here!

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is withholding approximately $160 million from the State of California for failing to cancel over 17,000 illegally issued Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) by the agreed-upon deadline of January 5, 2026. The FMCSA issued a Final Determination after California refused to cancel the licenses on time, allowing foreign drivers with invalid licenses to continue operating on American roads. As part of the Secretary’s Nationwide Non-Domiciled CDL Audit, FMCSA uncovered a systemic collapse of California’s non-domiciled CDL program, which allowed the state to illegally issue licenses with expiration dates extending years beyond a driver’s lawful presence and to grant CDLs to individuals who were ineligible to hold them. According to the Feds, more than 20,000 active non-domiciled CDLs were issued by California in violation of federal safety regulations. In September of last year, a nationwide audit of trucking licenses exposed more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs issued by California were issued unlawfully – including with licenses extending as many as four years beyond the expiration date of their lawful presence documentation. In November, California agreed to revoke every illegally issued license within 60 days and work with FMCSA so the agency could verify that the failures that allowed these licenses to be issued are corrected. That did not happen and in response, FMCSA will withhold nearly $160 million of funds from California via the National Highway Performance Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant.  California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has indicated they are extending the deadline until March stating the cancellation of thousands of CDLs will severely impact the California economy.

Longtime Association part time intern Mandy Vang has been promoted to full time as an Office Assistant. Mandy began working at the Association in January of 2023 while she was finishing her degree in Computer Information Systems at Fresno State. Now graduated, Mandy will expand upon her role as an intern and take on extra duties including handling all social media platforms and tackling portions of the Annual Meetings and events for both the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) and the Western Tree Nut Association (WTNA).

In action this week, the California Public Utilities Commission set new levels for the Cost of Capitol that represented a 0.3% decrease. While it may not be significant, it is opposite of the 1% increase that the utilities had originally proposed back in March. Prior to this new decision PG&E had proposed to increase the cost of capital from 10.28% to 11.3% and Edison had proposed to go from 10.33% to 11.75%. Considering the current economic environment, it was a bold request by the utilities that was met with tremendous opposition from industry groups, ratepayers and even legislators who were brave enough to challenge the utilities. Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom commented “We applaud the CPUC for having the courage to do the right thing and not only reject the proposed increase, but to actually decrease the rate of return. Electricity rates in California are astronomical compared to the rest of the country, and it is time for the CPUC to bring these utilities in line. Finally, the state is taking a small step in the right direction.”

Save the Date! The 2026 CCGGA Annual Meeting will be on May 20th in Tulare, CA.

This past week the Bureau of Reclamation signed a Record of Decision adopting an updated long-term operation plan for the Central Valley Project. The decision advances actions designed to maximize water deliveries across California while maintaining protections for endangered fish species. “With the signing of this Record of Decision, we are delivering on the promise of Executive Order 14181 to strengthen California’s water resilience,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “This updated operations plan reflects our commitment to using the best available science to increase water deliveries while safeguarding the environment and honoring the legacy of the Central Valley Project’s 90 years of service.” The revised plan responds to Executive Order 14181, issued Jan. 24, 2025, which directs federal agencies to take all available measures to increase water deliveries from the CVP, including issuing a new Record of Decision consistent with federal law. “Action 5 represents a forward-looking approach to water management that balances the needs of California’s communities, agriculture, and ecosystems,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek. “By refining real-time governance and operational flexibility, we are ensuring that every drop of water is managed with precision, accountability, and purpose.” 

Under the updated approach, the CVP may increase annual water deliveries by between 130 to 180 thousand acre-feet, and the State Water Project by 120 to 220 thousand acre-feet, depending on hydrologic conditions and subject to the State’s adoption of Action 5. The updates improve the use of scientific modeling and analysis in operational criteria. Changes remain within the range analyzed in the 2024 Long-Term Operations Final Environmental Impact Statement and consistent with effects analyzed in the 2024 Biological Opinions issued by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Key operational changes include adjustments to Delta export operations, removal of the Delta Summer and Fall Habitat Action and removal of early export-reduction concepts from the State of California’s Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom stated “this type of action is what we all hoped for, and represents the balance so desperately needed. While it won’t eliminate the devastating impact of SGMA, it will go a long way in helping to mitigate the damaging effects on farmers, agricultural processors and everyone that lives here.”

The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association is pleased to announce the re-election of the following board members. Re-elected to the board were the following Ginners: Raymond Gomez, J.G. Boswell Company and Kirk Kilkey, Cross Creek II Gin LLC. The following Growers were re-elected: Fresno County: Gary Martin, Wyatt McKean and Renato Serrano; Tulare County, Doug Cardoza.  All board member positions are three-year terms. 

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced an initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation of 10 percent of requested supplies for the new water year. The SWP is contractually required to make an initial allocation forecast by December 1 each year. Since it is so early in the season, the initial allocation typically reflects current hydrological conditions, existing reservoir storage, and an assumption of dry conditions through the rest of the year. So far, the wet season is off to a good start with beneficial rain falling in Northern California and Southern California already seeing significant rainfall following a dry year last year. “Recent history has shown us that anything can happen during a California winter, so it’s important that our early season allocation for the State Water Project is conservative,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Traditionally our wettest months are yet to come. With improvements to forecasting and science, we are better prepared to capture water supply during wet periods if Mother Nature delivers.” Across the state, California’s water supply starts the season in good shape with statewide reservoir storage just above average at 114 percent. Lake Oroville, the SWP’s largest reservoir, is at 100 percent of average for this time of year, slightly above where it was at last December. Each year, DWR provides the initial SWP allocation based on available water storage, projected water supply and water demands. Allocations are updated monthly as snowpack, rainfall and runoff data is analyzed, with a final allocation typically determined near the end of the season in May or June.