California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • Trade Agreements Strengthen Protections for U.S. Dairy Exports

    The National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council and Consortium for Common Food Names welcomed the United States’ signing of reciprocal trade agreements with El Salvador and Guatemala, underscoring the importance of reinforcing long-standing market access gains for U.S. dairy exporters and preventing the emergence of new trade barriers.

    As outlined in the agreements, El Salvador and Guatemala have both committed to address and prevent barriers to U.S. agricultural products, including dairy. These obligations include recognition of U.S. regulatory oversight and acceptance of currently agreed certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities, a prohibition on introducing a facility registration requirement for U.S. dairy products and streamlining of product registration requirements, which are critical elements for ensuring predictable and fair market access for all U.S. dairy exports.

    The two countries have also committed to ensuring that market access for U.S. agricultural exporters will not be restricted due to the use of certain cheese and meat terms. These include 38 widely used dairy terms such as parmesan, gruyere, feta and asiago, as well as 10 meat terms. This commitment provides important certainty for common name producers and exporters.

    “Securing durable market access and setting clear expectations with trading partners is essential for U.S. agriculture,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “This agreement builds on the success of CAFTA-DR and we thank the administration for fighting for the right of U.S. dairy exporters to compete fairly in the Salvadoran and Guatemalan market.”

    U.S. dairy exports already benefit from duty-free treatment in El Salvador and Guatemala as a result of the Central America–Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Tariffs on U.S. dairy products phased out entirely this past year, following direct advocacy from USDEC and NMPF over a decade ago to secure full market access under the agreement.

    “For dairy farmers, these agreements help to keep doors open to U.S. products,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “By protecting hard-won access and preventing new barriers from taking hold, the agreements support demand for U.S. milk and dairy products and strengthen the economic outlook for farm families across the country.”

    “As European authorities increasingly seek to confiscate common food names across Latin America, the agreements unequivocally protect 38 common cheese names and 10 generic meat terms and send a clear signal by preserving our producers’ right to label their products with terms that have been used for generations in El Salvador and Guatemala,” said Jaime Castaneda, executive director of CCFN.

    NMPF, USDEC and CCFN will continue working closely with USTR and U.S. government partners to monitor implementation of the agreement and to ensure that El Salvador and Guatemala fully meet their commitments to maintaining open and predictable access for U.S. dairy products and common name foods and beverages.

    The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

    The U.S. Dairy Export Council is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products. For more, visit www.usdec.org.

    The Consortium for Common Food Names is an independent, international alliance whose goal is to work with leaders in agriculture, trade, and intellectual property rights to foster the adoption of high standards and model geographical indication guidelines throughout the world. Learn more at www.commonfoodnames.com.

  • UCCE Hosting Rice Production Workshop

    UC Cooperative Extension is offering a workshop covering the principles and practices of rice production in California. The workshop, which will take place on March 18-19 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale., will include rice growth and land formation, weed management, pest identification, water management, crop diseases and more.

    Registration is $200 per person and includes lunch for both days. The deadline is March 15. Those interested in participating can register here.

    March 18

    8:30 Registration

    9:00 Rice Growth and Development — Bruce Linquist, UC Davis

    10:00 Land Formation— Sarah Marsh Janish, UCCE

    10:20 Break

    10:35 Varieties — Dustin Harrell, Rice Experiment Station

    11:35 Planting and Stand Establishment — Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE

    12:00 Lunch

    12:45 Water Management — Bruce Linquist, UC Davis, Whitney Brim-DeForest, UCCE

    1:45 Fertility— Bruce Linquist, UC Davis

    2:15 Questions Roundtable

    3:15 Adjourn

    March 19

    March 19

    8:30 Registration

    9:00 Weeds — Kassim Al-Khatib, UC Davis, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE, Whitney Brim-DeForest, UCCE

    10:30 Break

    10:45 Arthropods — Ian Grettenberger, UC Davis

    11:45 Vertebrates— Ian Grettenberger, UC Davis

    12:00 Lunch

    12:45 Diseases — Luis Espino, UCCE

    1:45 Pest Identification Session

    2:45 Questions Roundtable

    3:15 Adjourn

    — By UC Agricultural and Natural Resources

  • Cal Ag Secretary Karen Ross Highlights International Year of the Woman Farmer

    California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross highlighted the International Year of the Woman Farmer during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA; a campaign prompted by the United Nations and the CA Grown program to raise awareness and promote the essential global role women hold in the agriculture industry, from production to trade. 

    “Women are helping to grow the future of California Agriculture.  The number of dynamic, fearless, accomplished women leading farms, driving innovation and shaping the future of food has grown more than 13 percent in the last decade,” said Karen Ross, California Secretary of Agriculture.  “We need to celebrate their contributions to the global agricultural industry here at the World Ag Expo where we are witnessing cutting edge technology, equipment and educational opportunities, and every day.”

    California is home to over 45,000 women producers who collectively steward more than 11 million acres of farmland.  Women play essential roles across the food system that are critical to food security, nutrition and economic resilience.  Their essential role in every facet of the food and farming system is celebrated at the World Ag Expo, where more than 100,000 visitors from 70 countries are scheduled to visit.  The event hosts over 1,200 exhibitors displaying state-of-the-art technology and equipment over a three-day period, as well as educational opportunities, including seminars by agricultural experts and cooking demonstrations by California Grown.

    Secretary Ross was joined at the International Year of the Woman Farmer event by CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong. CDFA representation at this year’s World Ag Expo also includes Deputy Secretary Arima Kozina and staff from the department’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) and Inspection Services Division, as well as the State Board of Food and Agriculture.

    Food influencers including Alison Needham a creator for the California Grown campaign, Aida Mollenkamp the founder of Salt and Wind Travel, prune grower Hilary Porter of Erick Nielsen Enterprises, U.S. Sweet Potato Council President Sarah Alvarnaz, and many more women in agriculture are in attendance during a reception to honor their contributions.

    The California Grown program brings together industry and government resources to increase the awareness, consumption and value of California agricultural products, helping consumers enjoy the best of the California lifestyle, and to recognize the Golden State’s role in food, beverage and flower production across the nation and the globe.

     
    The campaign was established by proclamation of the United Nations to raise awareness of the critical roles women play in the global agricultural industry that is often unrecognized.  Learn more about the worldwide campaign by visiting https://californiagrown.org/yearofthewomanfarmer/. Media assets may be downloaded here.

    About CA GROWN
    California Grown was formed in 2001 to increase awareness and consumption of high-quality California agricultural products. The organization is represented today by more than two dozen commodity organizations and dozens of agricultural entities licensed to use the popular California Grown brand. For more information about California Grown, contact Cherie Watte at cher@californiagrown.org.

  • Annual Meeting Highlights Cow Comfort and Health

    NMC members from 15 countries, 32 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces gathered in Birmingham, Ala., USA, to focus on “What’s Best for Her. Keeping the cow’s well-being at the heart of milk quality.”

    The Jan. 26-29 event culminated with the group’s 65th annual meeting. NMC: The Global Milk Quality Organization attracts milk quality, mastitis and udder health researchers and graduate students, dairy producers and dairy industry partners. Meeting topics ranged from artificial intelligence to facility designs to cow comfort to milk harvest to small ruminant milk production.

    “NMC continues to expand its reach beyond mastitis prevention, treatment and control – realizing the importance of cow comfort, health monitoring, balanced nutrition and proper milk harvest preparation,” stated NMC First Vice President Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University. That’s why we focused on ‘What’s Best for Her’ care during this year’s NMC Annual Meeting.”

    Additionally, NMC continues to add training programs throughout the year that foster higher milk quality and animal care standards.

    During this event, NMC honored Pamela Ruegg, Michigan State University (MSU), with the NMC Award of Excellence for Contribution to Mastitis Prevention and Control, which is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Besides MSU, Ruegg has worked for Kiel Veterinary Clinic, Kiel Wis.; Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada; Monsanto Company; and University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. With more than 40 years of experience working on mastitis and milk quality, Ruegg has dedicated herself to answering the toughest questions the dairy industry has faced. The 2010 NMC president, Ruegg is synonymous with milk quality worldwide.

    In the National Dairy Quality Awards program, NMC honored six dairy operations as Platinum winners. These top-quality milk producers included Gettyvue Farm LLC, Brian, Kevin and Terry Getty, Granville, N.Y.; Green Hill Dairy, Donald Janssen, Scipio Center, N.Y.; Larson Acres, Mike, Sandy, Ed and Barb Larson, and Jim, Luke, Dane and Brooke Trustem, Evansville, Wis.; Schultz Dairy, Dave Schultz, Sandusky, Mich.; Tollgate Holsteins, Jim and Karen Davenport, Ancramdale, N.Y.; and Walnut Ridge Dairy, Jacob and Steve Palladino, and Keith Chapin, Lansing, N.Y. Judges selected outstanding dairies to receive this honor based on quality milk production indicators, such as somatic cell count and bacteria count, along with milking routine, systems of monitoring udder health, treatment protocols and strategies for overall herd health and welfare. These herds ranged in size from 84 to 2,902 cows. Annual milk production (per cow) averaged from 24,190 pounds to 30,801 pounds. For average somatic cell count (June 1, 2024-May 31, 2025), these dairies varied from 31,000 to 85,000 cells/ml.

    NMC awarded scholarships to eight remarkable graduate students to attend the NMC Annual Meeting. This year’s NMC Scholars were Anna Acosta, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.; Elizabeth Plunkett, Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio; Emily Leonard, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis; Lara Juliano, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.; Maria Marin, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.; Delower Hossain, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy; Joanne Hanifin, Munster Technological University, Castlemaine, Ireland; and Karise Nogara, Federal University of Paraná, Paraná, Brazil. The NMC Scholars program fosters the development of mastitis research and milk quality professionals from around the world.

    NMC held a research poster competition for graduate students and selected Maria Marin, University of Florida, as the winner. She presented “Characterizing Milk Flow Patterns in Dairy Cows Using Machine Learning: Implications for Milk Yield.” Marin won a one-year NMC membership and free registration to attend next year’s NMC Annual Meeting.

    During the NMC Annual Business meeting, members elected Daniela Bruno, University of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno, Calif., to the NMC board of directors. Executive committee members are Roger Thomson, Michigan State University and MQ-IQ Consulting LLC, Battle Creek, Mich., president; Alfonso Lago, DairyExperts, Inc., Tulare, Calif., first vice president; Christy Dinsmoore, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Novi, Mich., second vice president; Pamela Adkins, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., secretary-treasurer; and Justine Britten, Udder Health Systems, Meridian, Idaho, past president. Other board members include John Penry, Dairy Australia, Southbank, Victoria Cross, Australia; Rick Watters, AgroChem, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Amy Vasquez, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; Stephen Jones, DeLaval, Trinity, Fla.; Ian Ohnstad, The Dairy Group, Dorchester, Somerset, England; Justin Graham, BrooksCo Dairy, Quitman, Ga.; Jessica Belsito, IBA Inc., Sutton, Mass.; Jeffrey Bewley, Holstein Association, USA, Elizabethtown, Ky.; and Carolina Pinzón-Sánchez, University of Wisconsin-Division of Extension, Madison, Wis. Keith Engel, GEA Farm Technologies, Hampshire, Ill., retired from the board.

    NMC thanks its annual meeting sponsors who contributed to the program’s success. The Diamond sponsors were Boehringer Ingelheim, DeLaval International and Zoetis. Platinum sponsors included AHV International, GEA Farm Technologies, Inc. and Merck Animal Health. The Gold sponsor was IBA Inc. Silver sponsors were AgroChem, Axiota and McLanahan Corporation. Bronze sponsors included ABS Global, Acepsis, Ecolab, Michigan Milk Producers Association, milc Group and Udder Health Systems. Dairy Partner sponsors included Christian Hill Dairy, Jones Family Farm, Luck-E Holsteins and Tollgate Holsteins.   

    The 66th NMC Annual Meeting is set for Jan. 25-28, 2027, in Jacksonville, Fla. For additional information, go to: www.nmconline.org.

    ABOUT THE NMC

    The Global Milk Quality Organization is a non-profit professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides science-based information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality, animal welfare and food safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

  • Fusarium Wilt in Lettuce

    A new strain of fusarium wilt has been detected in lettuce, putting crops in danger. Researchers at UC Riverside are exploring new ways to combat this potentially devastating fungal disease. Alexander Putman spoke at the World Ag Expo in Tulare and with Matthew Malcolm from Malcolm Media Ag Publishing to discuss the issue. Watch this quick video and learn more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Simplot for their industry support.

  • Using Predators to Counter Asian Citrus Psyllids

    The Asian citrus psyllid is an active threat for growers and the main vector for Huanglongbing disease. These invasive insects have wreaked havoc in Florida and spread to Southern California, but researchers at UC Riverside are finding ways to counter them. Matthew Malcolm from Malcolm Media Ag Publishing interviewed Bodil Cass at the World Ag Expo to discuss the use of predators against psyllids. Watch this quick video and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Simplot for their industry support.

  • Fungicide Drenching to Combat Hazelnut Blight

    Eastern filbert blight is an ongoing and costly problem for hazelnut growers, but researchers at the Oregon State Extension are researching newer and more efficient ways to combat it. At the Nut Growers Society’s Winter Meeting, Jay Pscheidt spoke with Matthew Malcolm at Malcolm Media Ag Publishing and shared their findings on drenching. Watch this quick video and read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor George Packing Company for their industry support.

  • Opportunities Emerge for California Blueberries

    Blueberries have become a global industry with growing demands creating opportunities for California growers, thanks in large part to the adoption of improved cultivars. David Magaña from Rabobank spoke with Matthew Malcolm of Malcolm Media Ag Publishing about his findings at the World Ag Expo. Watch this quick video and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor, Simplot for their industry support.

  • UCCE Hosting South Sacramento Valley Prune Meeting

    UC Ag and Natural Resources will host its annual South Sacramento Valley Prune Metting in Yuba City. The event is an opportunity for prune growers to learn the latest updates in prune orchard systems and grower regulation updates. Growers will also be able to learn about disease management and Johnson grass management in tree crops, as well as how to control sunburn in crops and more.

    The event counts for 2.5 continuing education credits. Registration for the Prune Meeting begins at 8 a.m. at Yuba City Veterans Hall and it run until 12:30 p.m., followed by a hosted lunch. Pre-registration can be found HERE.

    Schedule:

    8:00 AM Registration & Coffee and Refreshments

    8:15 AM California Prune Board Update

    Donn Zea, Executive Director, Prune Board of California

    Kiaran Locy, Director of Brand and Industry Communications, Prune Board of California

    8:30 AM New developments in prune orchard systems

    • New prune rootstock trial plans and goals

    Jaime Ott, UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor; Tehama, Glenn, and Butte Counties

    • High density prune orchards

    Charles Brannon, Director of Agronomy, Agromillora CA

    • New prune rootstocks and new orchard opportunities

    Chuck Fleck, Director of Horticulture Research, Sierra Gold Nurseries

    9:30 AM What can growers learn from Dormex® rest breaking trials in prune?

    Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Orchards Advisor, Colusa/Sutter/Yuba Counties

    10:00 AM Break

    10:15 AM Prune grower regulatory update.

    Sean Nelson, Sutter Co Ag Comm Office; Matt Bozzo, Yuba Co Ag Comm Office

    10:45 AM Disease management in prune

    Jim Adaskaveg, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, UC Riverside

    11:30 AM Developments in Johnson grass management in tree crops

    Ryan Hill, UCCE Agronomy and Weeds Advisor; Tehama, Shasta, and Glenn Counties

    12:00 PM A first look at sunburn control in prunes.

    Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Orchards Advisor, Colusa/Sutter/Yuba Counties

    12:30 PM Hosted lunch

    — By UC Ag and Natural Resources