Addressing concerns expressed by the community on why Assemblyman Devon Mathis voted for the recent Cap & Trade legislation (AB 398), Association President/CEO Roger Isom spoke on the need for the legislation for agriculture and that many have misunderstood the bill and its true impacts.  Isom was part of an eight person panel that consisted of representatives from Western United Dairyman, California Dairies Inc., Southern California Edison, California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA), California League of Food Producers, and Assemblyman Devon Mathis himself.  Isom explained that this is a complex issue that has forced agriculture in a position where they are stuck.  With the passage of SB 32 last year, the state has a mandate in law for businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.  The state has two options to make that happen: “command and control” or “Cap & Trade”.  The option with the least impact by far is Cap & Trade.  Isom said “Let’s be clear.  No one up here likes Cap & Trade or the whole greenhouse gas emission program.  We’re the only area in the world with a mandatory program and it is killing us.”  AB 398 provides the least impactful pathway for facilities subject to the mandatory reductions, and it also resulted in concessions that helped nut processors, tomato processors, milk and cheese plants, and poultry processing plants that are actually subject to the regulations.

In less than 30 days from submittal of the application, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has received approval from Federal EPA and has authorized for use the pesticide Transform for use on lygus in cotton in California.  Use is limited to Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Riverside, Sutter, Tehama and Tulare counties.   This was issued as a Section 18 Crisis Exemption to help combat the unprecedented levels of lygus seen in cotton fields this year.  This is a limited exemption currently only available through August 4^th.  The Association is also working on a specific Section 18 and hopeful that deadline will be extended.    Meanwhile, Dow AgroSciences is working to get supply of the product in to California as we distribute this announcement.  At this point we wish to thank Dr. Peter Goodell, and Dr. Bob Hutmacher for their tireless efforts in working on the Section 18 application and information.  In addition we want to especially recognize Dow AgroSciences for their work and cooperation in obtaining this important Section 18.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 23, known as the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act of 2017 (GROW Act), by a vote of 230 to 190. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. David Valadao (CA-21), aims at increasing the amount, quality, and reliability of water available to California.  This is an important piece of legislation that follows on the heels of the passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) in 2016.  A large portion of the bill focuses on modifying policies regarding the operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project and the implementation of the San Joaquin River Settlement.  More specifically, the legislation does the following:

• EXPANDING WATER STORAGE The GROW Act requires the federal government to expedite and complete consideration of feasibility studies for water storage projects some of which have been wasting away in bureaucratic purgatory for over ten years
• IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE: “ONE-STOP-SHOP” PERMITTING The GROW Act establishes the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) as the lead coordinating agency for the permitting process for new or expanded surface storage facilities in order to streamline agency permit requirements that often impose unnecessary costs and burdens when constructing new water infrastructure
• ENSURING WATER RELIABILITY The GROW Act updates the Central Valley Project Improvement Act to ensure water resources are reliable and available to fulfill supply promises
• PROTECTING WATER RIGHTS The GROW Act prohibits past abuses of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture that required private entities to relinquish their water rights to the federal government as a permit condition to continue operating on federal lands
• SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT AND FISH The GROW Act provides reasonable flows for habitat restoration of fish and wildlife in the Central Valley and ensures compliance with requirements of the Endangered Species Act

The Association sent letters urging Congress to support the legislation, which now moves to the Senate where it will face a more fervent challenge.  If you haven’t already done so, please write letters of support to our two (2) California Senators, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Kamala Harris.

Date: July 18 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m.

The Saqui Law Group and the Western Agricultural Processors Association offer this webinar for Owners, Office Managers, supervisors, and HR team members.

PRESENTER
Michael Saqui, The Saqui Law Group — Michael Saqui’s highly successful track record spanning over two decades makes him a powerful partner to the clients he represents in all aspects of employer-employee relations. He does extensive public speaking including seminars, lectures and in-house training, to counsel employers in developing proactive approaches to address employment and labor relations matters.

TOPICS COVERED

1. “TRUMP-Train” trends and their effect on AG;
2. Dealing with Employee confusion and “Fake News;”
3. Dealing with I-9 compliance issues;
4. Employer workplace obligations; and
5. What to do when ICE shows up.

Q+A: Bring your questions.

Please RSVP by July 14, 2017.
For more information and to register, contact Elda at: Elda@agprocessors.org

Webinar Flyer

After receiving numerous reports from growers, PCA’s and Cooperative Extension representatives regarding the severe Lygus populations in California cotton, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) immediately went to work in preparing a Section 18 Crisis Emergency Exemption for sulfoxaflor (aka Transform®). Given the extended winter season and increased rains, a perfect storm was created to give Lygus the ideal conditions to grow to large populations, many indicating this is the worst they have ever seen. With the assistance from UCCE IPM Specialist Peter Goodell, state cotton specialist Bob Hutmacher and the representatives at Dow AgroSciences, CCGGA was able to prepare and submit an application within a week’s timeframe. Throughout the entire process, CCGGA has been engaged in communication with the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to convey the urgency and time sensitive nature of getting this application approved. It is hoped with this particular Section 18 being categorized as a “crisis”, DPR and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will speed up the process to allow timely access to growers. At this point there is no timeline as to when the product will be able to be used, CCGGA staff are in contact with DPR on a daily basis conveying the urgency and will provide updates as they become available.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Pink Bollworm Program have released the preliminary acreages for most of the cotton growing counties in California.  The breakdown is as follows:

With a currently estimated 4,200 acres in the Sacramento Valley, the overall total is estimated to be 295,848 acres statewide.  It is too early for the Pink Bollworm Program to confirm Pima/Upland splits, but current estimates put the split at 75%/25%, but we will wait to confirm what was actually planted, especially given the late announcement on water.

The Cotton Board is currently seeking nominees from California to fulfill a three year term beginning on January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020.  Based in Memphis, Tennessee, The Cotton Board is the oversight and administrative arm of the Cotton Research & Promotion Program, representing U.S. Upland cotton.  To fund the Program, The Cotton Board collects a per bale assessment of all Upland cotton harvested and ginned in the U.S., as well as an importer assessment for all Upland cotton products imported into the U.S.  To conduct the Program, The Cotton Board contracts with Cotton Incorporated to carryout the actual research and promotion activities for U.S. producers and importers of cotton.  While Cotton Incorporated is consumer and trade focused, it is a charged function of The Cotton Board’s mission to keep U.S. producers and importers of cotton informed on the innovative developments coming from the Program.  Being a board member of the Cotton Board will help shape cotton’s future and play a critical role in the success of the cotton industry for years to come.  Growers Aaron Barcellos and Dustin Mancebo currently represent California.  There are 2 to 3 meetings per year, and travel costs are reimbursed.  Anyone interested in encouraged to apply.  If you are interested, please contact Roger Isom at (559)252-0684 or via email at roger@ccgga.org.

While activists outnumbered agricultural representatives 10 to 1, the Association yet again spoke out against the mandate to tractors, harvesters and pump engines at the California Air Resources Board Hearing this week in Sacramento on the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for attaining the PM2.5 Standard.  Once again, Association President/CEO Roger Isom testified before the Board to ensure agriculture’s accomplishments were recognized.  The plan will have a hearing In August or September, but CARB demanded an update from staff on the development of the plan and what will be included.  The Association, along with the Nisei Farmers League, were the only ag organizations to testify at the hearing where environmental advocates and some ARB board members called for a mandatory farm equipment and harvester replacement rule.  Isom highlighted the 12.65 tons of NOx reductions already obtained on a voluntary basis through the NRCS EQIP program and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s Ag Equipment Incentive Program.

Next Week, the Cal Poly Center for Sustainability will be holding a Soil Health Assessment Field Day at Macon Seed in Turlock.  The event will feature plant pathologist and Denele Analytical Director, Joe Mullinax, USDA-NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist, Zahangir Kabir, as well as Cal Poly staff.  The event will focus on the contribution of biology and organic matter as it relates to soil health, how they can be measured and supported through sustainable agricultural management practices, as well as a variety of tools available now that assess soil health.  The event will be held Thursday, May 25^th at Macon Seed, located in Turlock, CA.  For more information on the event and registration information, please visit: http://cfs.calpoly.edu/soilsworkshops.html

 Flier 

After two days at the State Capitol with Board Members discussing critical issues affecting the cotton industry, the Association hurried back to Fresno yesterday to attend a special Air Resources Board (ARB) Meeting on the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the San Joaquin Valley.  The evening meeting which began at 5:00 pm included a presentation by the ARB and discussions on the need for a mandatory farm equipment replacement rule and increased requirements for Conservation Management Practices (CMPs).  Then it was opened to public comment, where industry was outnumbered 10 to 1 and the attack on agriculture began.  Several environmental groups berated the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and ARB for not mandating the replacement of farm equipment and requiring more CMPs.  After 3 hours of this testimony, Association President/CEO Roger Isom addressed the crowd by stressing the steps that farmers have taken to clean up the air in advance of these regulations.  Isom talked about the reductions achieved through the CMP rule and practices developed hand in hand with the industry, and the tremendous reductions achieved through the incentive programs such as Carl Moyer and the EQIP program through NRCS.  Isom also discussed the conversion of ag pumps from diesel to electric through the Ag-ICE program and the current work on Ag-ICE 2.0.   The Nisei Farmers League also testified in opposition to the proposed control measures and the push by the environmental community to increase regulations on agriculture.