California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Almond Acreage Increases in 2022 but Pace of Growth Slows

    Almond Board of California — California’s almond acreage continues to grow, but at a gradually slowing rate, according to two new reports. While the number of almond orchards removed also increased over the previous year, it was not enough to offset the overall acreage gains.

    According to an estimate from Land IQ, bearing almond orchards at harvest will cover 1.338 million acres across California, an increase of 29,000 acres – or about 2.2% – over last year. This estimate looks at orchards that will be productive and harvested in 2022. In addition, the report estimates 59,732 acres of orchards will be removed before harvest, nearly 12,000 acres more than last year.

    These estimates from Land IQ’s 2022 Standing Acreage Initial Estimate look at bearing acreage – orchards that have matured enough to produce a crop – for the current 2021-22 crop year. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) 2021 California Almond Acreage Report released today gives a comprehensive look at last year.

    The USDA-NASS report for the 2020-21 crop year estimated there were 1.32 million bearing acres in 2021, up 5.6 percent from 2020. Total almond acreage in 2021, which includes non-bearing trees, was estimated at 1.64 million, up 2.5 percent from the previous year. It also said the 320,000 non-bearing acres in 2021 is a total down 8.6% from 2020.

    The USDA-NASS report gave a preliminary estimate for bearing acreage in 2022 at 1.37 million acres, but cautioned that a major source of data for this estimate is a survey mailed to growers and is unlikely to be 100 percent accurate.

    USDA-NASS said nonpareil continued to be the leading variety, followed by Monterey, Butte, Carmel, and Independence.

    These reports are being issued side by side by the Almond Board of California (ABC) to provide a complete picture of California’s almond acreage.

    Neither of these reports offer any estimate on the actual almond yield this 2021-22 crop year. The first look at yield will come on May 12 with USDA-NASS’ Subjective Estimate. A fuller picture of crop size will come with USDA-NASS’ Objective Report in July.

    Bearing acres reflect plantings from 2019 or earlier. The removal estimates cover orchards taken out beginning in 2021 through March 31, 2022, added to acreage projected to be removed through Aug. 31, the end of the crop year. The projection uses historical data and present conditions.

    “These estimates show that California almond production will remain strong,” said ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott. “Demand for almonds in California, the U.S. and around the globe continues to grow and California almond growers are prepared to meet that demand.”

    Land IQ’s Initial Estimate and its Final Acreage Estimate in November, along with USDA-NASS’s April Acreage Report, May’s Subjective Estimate and the Objective Report in July are all commissioned by ABC to provide statistical transparency and a robust picture of California almonds to industry stakeholders around the world.

    In 2018, ABC first commissioned Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and environmental scientific research and consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, living map of California almonds. The map is the result of nearly a decade of research and has an accuracy of 98% or greater.

    Data for USDA-NASS’s acreage reports comes from a number of sources including voluntary responses from almond growers’ to mailed questionnaires with telephone and field follow-ups. USDA-NASS also uses Land IQ data to fine tune its reports.

  • Heart-Friendly Focus Fuels Almonds in Mexico

    Almond Board of California — Almond exports from the U.S. to Mexico increased 25% in 2021, reflecting a growing appetite for the nuts by health-conscious consumers in that market. 

    Wellness is top of mind for many Mexicans, who increasingly have gravitated to almonds for several health benefits. Almonds contain magnesium to support a healthy immune system, vitamin E to support skin care (vitamin E may help protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, caused by pollution, UV rays from the sun, cigarette smoke and other environmental and intrinsic factors) and good fats (to support heart health). One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat (healthy fat) and only 1g of saturated fat.

    Since 2018, the Almond Board of California has conducted consumer advertising and public relations in Mexico under the “Ponte Almendra” campaign. Ponte Almendra is a play on words in Spanish, adapted from the colloquial “ponte las pilas,” a popular idiom to tell people to work harder or make a bigger effort – essentially to get going. The message in Ponte Almendra is that a handful of almonds contains the natural energy-giving protein to help active people get through their busy days.

    Clearly, the marketing efforts are paying off. Last year, almond shipments to Mexico increased to 30 million pounds, making Mexico one of the up-and-coming countries ABC staff are most excited about.

    “The Almond Board is enthusiastic about the emerging growth of this market,” said Becky Jeffers, ABC’s manager of North American marketing. “Consumers are looking for healthy snacks as their lifestyles have changed and diseases of affluence such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are increasing.”

    Marketing efforts have leveraged the popularity and credibility of Mexican TV stars and trusted medical experts. ABC also has partnered with the Mexican Heart Foundation to underscore the value of almonds in a heart-healthy diet.

    A consumer survey funded by the Almond Board showed that 68% of Mexican consumers were motivated to eat almonds if they understood that almonds as part of a heart-healthy diet could potentially help with improving cholesterol levels.

    In 2021, the Ponte Almendra campaign featured TV ads that aired during major sporting events, such as the broadcast of the Super Bowl in Mexico and national soccer championships, and award shows such as the Grammy’s in Mexico. One TikTok video posted on Feb. 16, 2021 (designated as Almond Day in Mexico) garnered an impressive 2 million organic (un-sponsored) views in one day.

    ABC’s research revealed that consumers ranked almonds high in overall preference and said it is the nut they’ve seen the most positive stories about.

    “There is more opportunity to drive consumer awareness and perception of almonds’ specific heart health benefits. In fact, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces of nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease,” Jeffers said. “The survey showed 82% of Mexican consumers rate knowing that almonds are good for your heart would make them more likely to eat almonds. However, only 33% of respondents said that almonds are the best nut for their heart, showing the opportunity to amplify the nutrition research on heart health that is motivating to consumers.”

    The Almond Board has already shifted the communications to focus on heart health while keeping Ponte Almendra as the overarching campaign slogan. For example, for World Heart Month in September 2021, ABC partnered with credible doctors for TV media interviews and social media posts – including a 30-minute interview between a health coach and a doctor on Instagram Live. The heart health efforts will continue throughout 2022.

  • “Cautiously Optimistic” about Leaffooted Bug Lure & Trap

    Almond Board of California — With the rise of leaffooted bug damage showing up in almond kernels at the handler, the bottom line of growers is at stake. Research funded by the Almond Board of California and conducted at UC Riverside, is expanding much needed tools for effective IPM monitoring protocol to combat the pest.

    Across the industry, handlers have seen higher rates of brown spot damage caused by leaffooted bug – and true bugs, such as stink bug – which has led to increased rejection rates.

    Growers are limited to the best monitoring protocols available today, but they can be time and labor intensive, often pointing out damage after it’s too late to act.

    leaffooted bug on Almond (Photo Courtesy of the Almond Board of California)

    A multiyear effort led be UC Riverside Entomology Professor Jocelyn Millar – and funded by the Almond Board of California – has worked to improve the monitoring options for the pest.  

    “You can take beat samples of the crop canopy to look for adults or nymphs, but we’ve never established any kind of treatment threshold for that practice,” said Houston Wilson, assistant cooperative extension specialist in the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside and collaborator on the project. “You can look for signs of feeding damage, which manifests in gummosis, which can also be caused by a number of things.”

    Wilson said growers can cut gummy nuts open to look for evidence of leaffooted bug penetration of the kernel.

    “Identifying gummosis is easier because you can look for the signs, but it’s an artifact – by the time you see it, the leaffooted bug has already damaged the nuts,” Wilson said. “We don’t have a passive sampling system for leaffooted bug, like for navel orangeworm, where a pheromone attracts the insect to a trap,” Wilson said. “What we’re trying to develop is a lure – a pheromone – and a better trap.”

    leaffooted bug damaged nuts (Photo Courtesy of the Almond Board of California)
    First, the pheromone

    Over the past five years, Millar and his team have been isolating and identifying compounds that make up the leafooted bug pheromone. Nine compounds were identified, and the team began work to synthesize each one. Wilson said that some of the compounds were relatively easy to identify, but others were not, “the last pheromone compound we identified was entirely new to science.”

    In the latest project update, Millar noted that this new compound was a relatively small part of the overall pheromone composition but it packed the biggest punch, triggering the strongest responses from the bugs. Over the last two years, Millar’s team has been able to collect enough material to identify the compound and effectively synthesize it.

    Second, the trap

    At the same time as the pheromone work, the team at UC Riverside – and other collaborators such as Cooperative Extension Specialist Kent Daane – began looking at the best trap for the application. They tested multiple styles of traps and colors, ultimately identifying that a hanging cross-vane panel trap coated with a sticky substance – yellow or blue in color – performed the best for trapping leaffooted bug.

    With a fully recreated pheromone and an effective trap, the team ran trap trials in commercial almond, pistachio and pomegranate orchards in the Central Valley. Based on in-field trials, the team concluded that the trap and pheromone were both very effective and will look to the private sector to commercialize the new monitoring system.

    What’s next?

    “We demonstrated in field trials last summer and this spring that the synthetic pheromone blend is highly attractive to females,” Wilson said. “Now we’re looking at what minimal blend of compounds are needed to attract the pest. If we want this to be a commercially viable lure, we have to find the most cost-effective composition. In many cases, it’s not necessarily required to have the full bouquet of compounds in a pheromone blend to have a functional lure.”

    Once the right balance is determined for a synthetic blend that lures leaffooted bugs to a trap the next step is understanding what trap catch means on population density in an orchard. This will define treatment thresholds, giving growers guidance on timing to combat leaffooted bug before damage occurs on kernels. Private industry will likely takeover at this point to develop the traps for the industry. For Wilson, this prospect has him cautiously optimistic.

    “We’re very fired up with this pheromone blend, but I’m also trying not to get ahead of myself before we know what the cost will be for a commercial and scalable lure.”

    More information about best management practices of leaffooted bug is available at the UC Statewide IPM website.

  • USDA Announces Signup for Ag Commodity Container Assistance Program

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications for the Commodity Container Assistance Program (CCAP) which currently includes a partnership with the Port of Oakland in California and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), which is a marine cargo operating partnership between the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma in Washington State. Ongoing market disruptions have created logistical challenges associated with the availability and flow of shipping containers to transport agricultural commodities, which has prevented or delayed American-grown agricultural commodities from reaching their markets.

    “Both the Port of Oakland and the NWSA in Seattle have been identified as key gateways for American-grown agricultural commodities, and each has experienced significant challenges with the flow of containerized agricultural commodities and products,” Secretary Vilsack said. “While USDA’s per-container reimbursements will not cover the full cost of moving and storing shipping containers, the assistance provided will help ensure American-grown agricultural products can once again efficiently move through supply chains to reach global markets.”

    Port of Oakland  

    Fewer shipping containers have been made available for U.S. agricultural commodities as ocean carriers have circumvented traditional marketing channels and rushed containers back to be exported empty and, as a result, many of these carriers have suspended service to the Port of Oakland.

    The Howard Terminal “pop up” site in the Port of Oakland will provide space to prepare empty containers. Agricultural companies and cooperatives will have easier access to these containers, which they can fill with commodities, which will help restore shipping services to agricultural commodities while relieving congestion.

    For the Port of Oakland, the Agricultural Marketing Service covered 60% of the start-up costs for the “pop up” site and under CCAP the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing a $125 per container payment to partially assist agricultural commodity owners for the additional logistical expenses associated with picking up empty shipping containers to be filled with agricultural commodities and products at the Port of Oakland. Under CCAP FSA will also provide payments of $200 per dry container and $400 per refrigerated, or reefer, container to help cover additional logistical costs associated with moving the shipping container twice, first to the preposition site and then to the terminal loading the vessel, along with the cost of temporary storage.

    Northwest Seaport Alliance  

    Congestion-induced impacts to vessel schedules and prioritization of returning containers empty to Asia have significantly raised barriers for exporting agricultural commodities in containers, resulting in lost markets and disappointed customers. The Northwest Seaport Alliance has seen a nearly 30% decline in the export of agricultural commodities in the last six months of 2021 and the ratio of loaded versus empty container exports has shifted to predominately empty containers since May 2021.

    In Seattle, a 49-acre existing near-dock facility “pop up” site will be used to accept either dry agricultural or refrigerated, or reefer, containers for temporary storage at NWSA in Seattle to reduce operational hurdles and costs so containers can more quickly be loaded on ships at the export terminals.

    For the NWSA, under CCAP FSA will provide payments of $200 per dry container and $400 per reefer container to help cover the additional logistical costs of moving the container twice, first to the preposition site and then to the terminal loading the vessel, along with the cost of temporary storage. The NWSA “pop-up” site itself does not require USDA cost-share assistance as this site already has handling equipment and reefer plugs.

    How to Apply   

    The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will make monthly direct payments to agricultural companies and cooperatives on a per-container basis based upon the location of the port, and the type of shipping container, including empty containers, dry filled containers, and reefer filled containers.  Both sites will have the ability to pre-cool refrigerated shipping containers to receive perishable commodities.

    To apply for CCAP, applicants must complete form FSA-862, Commodity Container Assistance Program (CCAP) Applicationaccording to FSA-862 instructions and submit the form to the FSA National Office by email to SM.FPAC.FSA.CCAP@usda.gov. Payments will be made in arrears and verified with terminal records. A Unique Entity ID (12 alphanumeric characters assigned by SAM.gov) is required. Applicants that wish to receive payment by direct deposit must complete SAM.gov registration online at sam.gov/content/home and provide bank account information. Applicants may submit applications on a monthly basis, but all applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2023.

    FSA will make payments to eligible owners or designated marketing agents of U.S. agricultural commodities based on the number of eligible shipping containers utilized from March 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022, from the Port of Oakland or the NWSA to ship agricultural commodities to their designated markets on container ships. Eligible commodities include agricultural commodities (other than tobacco) which are grown or produced in the United States for food, feed, or fiber, and products made from those commodities, including certain forestry products.

    Visit the Notice of Funds Availability for more information on applicant eligibility and how to apply.

    About the Partnership  

    USDA’s partnerships with the Port of Oakland and NWSA is part of the Administration’s Supply Chain Task Force efforts with state and local governments and builds on earlier efforts including a US Department of Transportation partnership with the Port of Savannah in Georgia. The benefits of relieving congestion and addressing capacity issues at ports through partnerships go well beyond the local region, as commodities and agricultural products grown and processed from thousands of miles away flow through these ports.

    USDA continues to seek opportunities to partner with additional ports or other intermodal container facilities to help American farmers and agricultural producers move their product to market and manage the short-term challenges while pressing the ocean carriers to restore better levels of service.

  • CA State Fair Announces 2022 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition Winners

    The California State Fair is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 California Commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition. A panel of 12 certified sensory analyst judges gathered at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds, in Sacramento on May 18, to swirl, sniff, sip and analyze samples of olive oil from producers all over California. The annual competition celebrates the olive-growing and olive oil producing industries in California, and is open only to Extra Virgin and Flavored Olive Oils made from 100% olives which are grown, pressed and packaged in California.

    This year 468 shining, new bottles of olive oil lined the cellar shelves of Cal Expo. Each of the 117 entries arrived with the hope of their producers that their care, expertise and hard work would result in a coveted Best of Show Golden Bear Trophy.

    Competition Head Judge Orietta Gianjorio enlisted the talents of an exceptional group of skilled and experienced judges, some with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Gianjorio commented on the judging event, “It is always an honor to participate in the California State Fair Olive Oil Competition. All judges are incredibly talented and gifted tasters, deeply committed to the industry and high quality. The excitement in the room is palpable. After a couple of years of absence, we are all very happy to finally taste together and share our passion for California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We are all thrilled to share our comments and taste amazing oils produced from this wonderful state of California.”

    The 2022 Best of Show Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the Tuscan Blend by Olive Truck of San Francisco, California. Sam Bayraktar’s personal initiative, Olive Truck, started operation in 2019 which he describes as “the most exciting food project of all time.” This mobile mill combines Sam’s own experience with a state of the art vacuum-milling technology. The Olive Truck can take production straight to the groves which allows manufacturing of high-quality, extra-fresh olive oil right from the source.

    The Best of Show Flavored Olive Oil is Kaffir Lime by IL Fiorello Olive Oil Company of Fairfield, California. IL Fiorello is a family-owned company dedicated to growing and milling the finest quality artisan olive oil. Owners Ann and Mark Sievers produce oil from their own certified organic groves.

    This competition honors Olive Oil producers at all production levels. The Best California Extra Virgin Olive Oil by a Micro-producer (Less than 500 gallons annually) was awarded to “Elegante” Certified Organic Arbequina by Fandango Olive Oil of Paso Robles, California. The Best of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil by an Artisan Producer (between 500 and 5,000 gallons annually) was awarded to Kaffir Lime by IL Fiorello Olive Oil Company of Fairfield, California. The Best California Extra Virgin Olive Oil by a Large Producer (more than 5,000 gallons annually) went to Arbequina by Wild Groves of Newcastle, California.

    During the 2022 California State Fair, July 15 – July 31, fair guests will enjoy an exhibit featuring award-winning extra virgin olive oils, free tastings, and the opportunity to purchase olive oil directly from award-winning California olive oil producers.

    Complete results and competition information can be found on the California State Fair website at CalExpoStateFair.com/California-Commercial-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil

    About the California State Fair

    The California State Fair is an international award-winning fair, receiving top honors at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions out of more than 1,100 fairs world-wide. The California State Fair is dedicated as a place to celebrate the best the state has to offer in agriculture, technology, and the diversity of its people, traditions, and trends that shape the Golden State’s future. The 2022 State Fair will include a comprehensive list of competitions, including California’s best commercial wines, cheeses, olive oils, and fine arts, among others.

  • World Ag Expo, Toyota Presents $79,200 Check to Valley Children’s Healthcare

    The International Agri-Center®, World Ag Expo®, and the Central Valley Toyota Dealers presented a check in the amount of $79,200 to Valley Children’s Healthcare during the All Guild Picnic on the hospital grounds on May 25, in Madera, California. Valley Children’s became the fundraiser beneficiary in 2015 and $550,179 has been raised through the program to date.

    The check represented the total funds raised by the Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare, who participated in World Ag Expo’s® Toyota Tundra Giveaway by selling chances to win a new 2022 Tundra. The proceeds from the giveaway will directly benefit the Central California hospital.

    “The Guilds of Valley Children’s are proud to collaborate with World Ag Expo and Central Valley Toyota Dealers in raising funds and promoting goodwill for Valley Children’s for the past eight years,” said Connie McClaskey, Chair of the Guild Coordinating Council. “We are lucky to live in a community that is so supportive of Valley Children’s and the care they provide to children and their families.”

    The Tundra truck, won by Dianna Alexander of Chowchilla, CA on the final day of World Ag Expo®, was donated by the Central Valley Toyota Dealers, through their role as the Official Truck of World Ag Expo®.

    “This is one of the most rewarding programs we do,” said Jerry Sinift, Chief Executive Officer, International Agri-Center®. “The Guilds do an amazing job driving this fundraiser. The Central Valley community and World Ag Expo attendees are always great supporters. And of course, we couldn’t do it without the support of our Central Valley Toyota dealers.”

    The 2023 World Ag Expo® Toyota Tundra Giveaway, benefiting Valley Children’s Healthcare, will kick off ticket sales this fall.

    The International Agri-Center® is home to World Ag Expo®, February 14-16, 2023 in Tulare, California. An estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 65 countries attend World Ag Expo® each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo® hosts 1,200 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show grounds.

    The Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare have been raising funds since 1949, having raised over $30 million. The Guilds remain dedicated to their long-standing mission of raising funds, advocating for children, and promoting goodwill for Valley Children’s Healthcare and their objectives of raising financial support and developing ongoing community support. In addition to the main campus in Madera, there are now Specialty Care Centers in Bakersfield, Modesto, and Visalia.

    The Central Valley Toyota Dealers have been a sponsor of World Ag Expo® for more than a decade, every year providing a Toyota Tundra for the giveaway and helping raise funds for the partnered charity.

  • CA to Hold Public Workshops on Statewide Pesticide Application Notification System

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will hold three public workshops on June 27, 28 and 29 to collect feedback to inform the next phase of design and development for the state’s pesticide application notification system.

    California will be the first state in the nation to develop a statewide system to provide the public more transparent and equitable access to information in advance of pesticide applications.

    The workshops will be hosted online via Zoom and facilitated by the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. Each workshop will follow the same format, including a brief overview of the proposed design for the statewide notification system and an opportunity for the public to provide input. The proposed system design has been informed by broad stakeholder feedback provided in public focus groups and webinars convened by DPR in 2021. The information collected during the workshops will further inform the design of the statewide notification system.

    The workshops will be held at the following times:

    Monday, June 27: 1-3 p.m.
    Tuesday, June 28: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
    Wednesday, June 29: 6-8 p.m.

    Registration is not required to attend. Spanish interpretation will be provided at all workshops. A copy of materials presented during the workshops will be made available on DPR’s website following the workshops.

    DPR began developing the statewide notification system in mid-2021, after the state budget allocated $10 million to DPR for system development.

    DPR has partnered with four County Agricultural Commissioners to launch pilot projects to inform the department’s development of the statewide system. These county-led pilot projects have launched in communities within Riverside, Stanislaus and Ventura counties. The Santa Cruz community pilot will launch this summer. The UC Davis Center for Regional Change will conduct independent evaluations of the pilot programs.

    For more information and updates on statewide notification, please visit DPR’s website.

    ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to evaluate and register pesticides and monitor and regulate their sale and use across the state.

    DPR’s work includes conducting scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health and the environment prior to and following registration, registering all pesticides prior to sale or use in California, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their combined 400 field inspectors across the state’s 58 counties. DPR invests in innovative research, outreach, and education to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices and conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information.

  • USDA Seeks Feedback from Producers on 2022 Crops, Stocks, Inventories, and Values

    During the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey, and the June Area Survey. The agency will contact nearly 2,100 producers across California to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1, 2022.

    “The June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey are two of the most important and well-known surveys NASS conducts,” explained Gary R. Keough, director of the NASS Pacific Regional Office. “When producers respond to these surveys, they provide essential information that helps determine the expected acreage and supply of major commodities in the United States for the 2022 crop year. The results are used by farmers and ranchers, USDA, businesses, exporters, researchers, economists, policymakers, and others to inform a wide range of decisions.”

    Producers can respond to the June Agricultural Survey online at agcounts.usda.gov, by phone, or mail. They will be asked to provide information on planted and harvested acreage, including acreage for biotech crops and grain stocks. For the June Area Survey, agency representatives will interview farm and ranch operators in randomly selected segments over the phone. Producers will be asked to provide information on crop acreage, grain stocks, livestock inventory, land values, and value of sales.

    “NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents, by keeping all individual information confidential and publishing the data in aggregate form only to ensure that no operation or producer can be identified,” said Keough. “We recognize that this is a hectic time for farmers, but the information they provide helps U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable. I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their cooperation.”

    NASS will analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports June 30, 2022. Survey data also contribute to NASS’s monthly and annual Crop Production reports, the annual Small Grains Summary, annual Farms and Land in Farms and Land Values reports, various livestock reports, including Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and Hogs and Pigs, and USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.

    These and all NASS reports are available at nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information, call the NASS Pacific Regional Field Office at 1-800-851-1127. 

  • Abby Kornegay Joins Animal Agriculture Alliance as Manager, Issues & Engagement

    The Animal Agriculture Alliance recently hired Abby Kornegay as manager, issues and engagement. Kornegay assumed her new role on May 9. In this role, Kornegay is responsible for shaping the Alliance’s issues management and crisis communications strategy.

    Kornegay joins the Alliance team from her previous role as animal care program manager for Butterball, LLC. She managed the organization’s industry-leading animal care and well-being program, directed innovative strategies within their biosecurity program, and worked closely with auditing organizations for both welfare and marketing program audits. Kornegay also brings experience in project management, leadership and public relations.

    Prior to her work at Butterball, LLC, Kornegay held several internships within the animal agriculture community, including working with large animal veterinarians and research farm positions at North Carolina State University.

    Kornegay is originally from upstate New York. Her passion for agriculture comes from her family and growing up in the restaurant business where she worked with food and local farmers from an early age, sparking her interest in agriculture. In college, she was a member of Alpha Zeta – Professional Agricultural Fraternity.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Abby to the Alliance team as our manager, issues and engagement,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance president and CEO. “Abby is well-versed in issues and crisis management and will serve as a great addition to the organization. Her background in animal welfare and poultry will add to the strengths of the team and allow us to better serve our diverse membership and the animal agriculture community.”

    Kornegay holds a B.S. and M.A.S. in animal science from North Carolina State University. She currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    In addition to Kornegay joining the Alliance’s small but mighty team, Emily Solis was promoted to manager, communications and content, effective May 1. In this new role, Solis is tasked with shaping the organization’s brand and proactive communications strategy.

    “Emily has been an incredible asset to the Alliance team and has helped make our communications efforts, including our social media strategy, Annual Report and Sustainability Impact Report, more professional and effective,” said Thompson-Weeman. “This well-deserved promotion comes in recognition of her commitment to excellence, and I’m excited to see what more she is able to accomplish for animal agriculture in her new role.”

    Solis joined the Alliance as communications specialist in 2020. She holds a B.S. in animal science from the University of Maryland and currently resides in east Tennessee.

    About the Alliance:

    The Animal Agriculture Alliance safeguards the future of animal agriculture and its value to society by bridging the communication gap between the farm and food communities. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.

  • Citrus Growers Encouraged to Increase Vigilance Following Recent ACP Detections in Central Valley

    Following recent Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) detections in the Central Valley over the last few weeks, growers, packers, haulers and all citrus industry members are encouraged to be extra vigilant in their ACP mitigation steps and adherence to regulatory practices.

    Recently, multiple ACP were detected on traps at a packinghouse in the Woodlake area of Tulare County. Upon confirmation, visual delimitation surveys began the following day. Live adults or nymphs were found and collected at two more adjacent properties, including an abandoned parcel with citrus host plants. CDFA is working closely with the packinghouse to ensure regulatory compliance. Treatment of host plants on residential properties within 400 meters of the detection will be conducted by CDFA once all necessary notifications, emergency proclamations and public meetings have been held. Commercial citrus operations within 800 meters of the detections will be asked to conduct treatments as well.

    Additionally, one ACP was recently detected on a trap at a juice plant in Visalia, and upon completion of the visual delimitation survey of the find site and adjacent properties, there were no additional finds.

    In Kern County, three ACP trap detections have been identified in the last week. One in the city, and two in rural residential locations in Southwest Bakersfield. These are the first ACP detections found in Kern County since November 2021. CDFA teams have already begun delimitation surveys and treatments will be conducted on residential properties with host plants within a 50-meter area around the detections once proper notifications, emergency proclamations and public meetings have been held. There are no commercial operations for several miles around the Kern County detections.

    These detections are a resounding reminder to continue to follow ACP mitigation best practices and regulatory requirements to efficiently suppress ACP populations and prevent the spread of Huanglongbing to the Central Valley.

     

    If you suspect ACP or Huanglongbing in your orchard, please notify the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. For questions, contact Kern County Grower Liaison Judy Zaninovich at jsleslie@msn.com, Northern Tulare County Grower Liaison Teri Blaser at tblasersci@ocsnet.net or Southern Tulare County Grower Liaison Jessica Leslie at jess.leslie@hotmail.com.