California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Real California Milk Foodservice Debuts Cheese & Mac Recipe Challenge

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced the launch of an inaugural foodservice contest challenging professional chefs and culinary students to develop creative Cheese & Mac dishes using Real California cheese and dairy products. The “Real California Cheese & Mac Challenge” is a search for recipes with new, inventive takes on the classic comfort food.

    The CMAB is promoting this online recipe contest to capture the ongoing popularity of Cheese & Mac (aka Mac & Cheese) dishes in foodservice. This traditional dairy-centric dish continues to be a platform for showcasing culinary trends and remains a menu standard for all dayparts.

    The Real California Cheese & Mac Challenge is open to professional chefs and culinary students in the U.S., offering the opportunity to submit creative recipes online to showcase the use of cheeses made in California for a chance to win up to $5,000. Prominent foodservice judges will select six winning recipes for sensory evaluation to determine the ultimate grand prize winner.

    Each chef finalist will receive $2,000, with the winning dish receiving an additional $3,000 for a total of $5,000 awarded to the Real California Cheese & Mac Challenge Champion.

    “This recipe contest is part of our continued efforts to partner with chefs and the next generation of culinary professionals to showcase the versatility and performance of California dairy products as key foodservice ingredients,” said Mike Gallagher, Business and Market Development Consultant for the CMAB. “California cheeses and dairy products are central to culinary innovation. The Real California Cheese & Mac Challenge will serve to reinforce chefs’ awareness of the endless varieties and styles of real cheeses and dairy ingredients from California, that are made with milk from family farms using the most sustainable farming practices in the U.S.”

    The entry period for submitting recipes is May 1-June 15, 2023. The six winning Cheese & Mac recipes will be announced in July with the grand prize announcement on August 31, 2023. For more information, including entry details, visit https://cheeseandmacrecipe.realcaliforniamilk.com.

    California is a reliable, consistent source of sustainable dairy products used by chefs throughout the world. As the nation’s largest dairy state, California boasts an impressive lineup of award-winning cheesemakers and dairy processors that are helping to drive dining innovation.

    California is the leading producer of fluid milk, butter, and ice cream as well as Mozzarella, Hispanic-style cheese and dairy, and Monterey Jack. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made exclusively with sustainably sourced milk from the state’s dairy farm families.

    About Real California Milk/the California Milk Advisory Board

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs.

    The Foodservice Division of the CMAB supports foodservice operators and distributors that use Real California dairy products. The CMAB offers marketing and promotional support for foodservice operators that purchase dairy products with the Real California Milk seal, which means they are made with 100 percent milk from California’s more than 1,100 family dairy farms, using some of the most sustainable dairy practices in the nation.

    For more information on sourcing cheese from California, contact the foodservice team at 209.883.6455 (MILK), foodservice@cmab.net or RealCaliforniaMilk.com/Foodservice, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

  • North American Meat Institute: PRIME Act is a Food Safety Risk

    The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) again announced its opposition to the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act, or the PRIME Act, for the risk it poses to food safety.

    “American consumers rely on rigorous USDA inspection to ensure the safety and quality of their meat and poultry,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Allowing meat to enter commerce without inspection – and without alerting consumers they are buying uninspected meat — jeopardizes food safety and will undermine consumer confidence in all meat products.”

    The PRIME Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Thomas Massie (R- Ky.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have introduced the same bill in the Senate.

    The PRIME Act would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to allow custom slaughter facilities to sell uninspected meat directly to consumers, to restaurants and food service, and at retail.

    Under The Federal Meat Inspection Act, custom slaughter facilities harvest livestock for the personal use of the owner of the animal. The food produced may not enter commerce. There is no continuous inspection and no veterinarian required to assess the health of the livestock.

    Federally inspected facilities, and state inspected facilities with cooperative agreements with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), have inspectors continuously conducting oversight of operations to ensure the safety and quality of meat and poultry and the health and wellness of the livestock. Should a problem occur, products bearing the mark of USDA inspection can be traced to protect consumers.

    “It is important for the American economy and the entire meat value chain that the safety of our meat and poultry is never taken for granted. The meat and poultry industry, and the taxpayer, has invested billions of dollars in food safety protections, research and infrastructure to ensure we have the safest meat in the world,” said Potts. “While this bill may be well intentioned, it poses especially unnecessary risks given the many resources available to help new and small facilities gain inspection from FSIS.”

    Those resources include more than $1 billion in federal technical assistance and financial assistance in the following USDA administered programs:

    Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants:
    Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity – Technical Assistance Program
    Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program

    Background:

    There are more than 6,500 federally inspected facilities throughout the United States.

    There were 946 plants slaughtering under federal inspection on January 1, 2023

    States with and Without Inspection Programs

    About North American Meat Institute
    The Meat Institute is the United States’ oldest and largest trade association representing packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey, and processed meat products. NAMI members include over 350 meat packing and processing companies, the majority of which have fewer than 100 employees, and account for over 95 percent of the United States’ output of meat and 70 percent of turkey production.

  • GROWMARK Offers 55 Scholarships Valued at $2,000 Each

    GROWMARK, Inc. announces a revamped scholarship program for 2023. The GROWMARK Foundation will provide 55 scholarships of $2,000 each to students pursuing agriculture and business-related degrees or certificates at colleges, universities, and technical schools in the United States and Ontario, Canada.

    “GROWMARK and the FS member cooperatives are strong supporters of youth leadership education and this is one more way we can contribute to the future of agriculture,” says Amy Bradford, GROWMARK corporate communications manager and GROWMARK Foundation manager.

    At the time of application, students must be high school seniors or the equivalent of and enrolled in a university, community college, or technical school for fall 2023, or continuing students enrolled in good standing at a university, community college, or technical school. Scholarships will be scored by a committee comprised of industry professionals outside of the GROWMARK System.

    The 2023 GROWMARK Foundation Scholarship Application may be found here. The application deadline is May 12, 2023.

    Over the last year, GROWMARK has contributed almost $1 million to community initiatives through its charitable organization, The GROWMARK Foundation. These funds have supported more than $200,000 in scholarships, $400,000 in matching funding to ag initiatives across North America, and more than $70,000 to Ag in the Classroom programs.

    About GROWMARK:

    GROWMARK is an agricultural cooperative serving almost 400,000 customers across North America, providing agronomy, energy, facility engineering and construction, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services. Headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by member cooperatives. More information is available at growmark.com.

    About the GROWMARK Foundation:

    The GROWMARK Foundation was formally incorporated in 2005 and supports 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organizations. The Foundation is focused on programs and activities which support: the vitality of the industry of agriculture; agriculture education and consumer understanding of agriculture’s contributions to society and the economy; agricultural leadership development; and education about the benefits of the cooperative way of doing business. The GROWMARK System has been involved in a variety of philanthropic efforts, including youth and young leader education and development and scholarships, for decades.

  • $130 Million in USDA Assistance to Help Farmers Facing Financial Risk

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that nearly $130 million in additional, automatic financial assistance has been obligated for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial risk. The announcement is part of the $3.1 billion to help distressed farm loan borrowers that was provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

    Since the IRA was signed by President Biden in August 2022, including the payments announced today, USDA is providing approximately $1.1 billion in immediate assistance to more than 20,000 distressed borrowers.

    “Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress directed USDA to deliver financial assistance to distressed farm loan borrowers as quickly as possible, and that is what we are delivering to help producers across the country stay on their land,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is hard at work to provide our most vulnerable producers the opportunity to generate long-term stability and success. Our goal is to make sure we provide producers access to the tools they need to help get back to a financially viable path and ultimately succeed as thriving agricultural businesses.”

    Borrowers who received these automatic payments include Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct loan borrowers whose interest exceeded principle owed on outstanding debts; borrowers who had a balance up to 60 days past due as of Sept. 30, 2022 and remained delinquent; and borrowers with a recent restructure between Feb. 28, 2020, through March 27, 2023, or who had accepted an offer to restructure on or before March 27, 2023, but had not yet closed that restructure.

    Individual Applications for Farmers Seeking Assistance

    In May, FSA will begin accepting and reviewing individual distressed borrower assistance requests from direct loan borrowers who missed a recent installment or are unable to make their next scheduled installment. All FSA borrowers should have received a letter detailing the process for seeking this type of assistance even before they become delinquent. As the letter details, borrowers who are within two months of their next installment may seek a cashflow analysis from FSA using a recent balance sheet and operating plan to determine their eligibility.  Also in May, FSA borrowers will receive a letter detailing a new opportunity to receive assistance if they took certain extraordinary measures to avoid delinquency on their loans, such as taking on or refinancing more debt, selling property, or cashing out retirement or college savings accounts. FSA also plans to begin working through these types of cases in May.

    As USDA learns more about the types of situations financially distressed farmers are facing, the Department will continue to update borrowers and the public about new eligibility criteria. USDA will also provide regular updates about its progress in deploying this funding to farmers who need it.

  • May USDA Lending Rates for Ag Producers

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for May 2023, which are effective May 1, 2023. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.

    Operating, Ownership and Emergency Loans

    FSA offers farm ownership and operating loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers, whether multi-generational, long-time, or new to the industry, obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation. FSA also offers emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters or quarantine.  For many loan options, FSA sets aside funding for underserved producers, including veterans, beginning, women, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic farmers and ranchers.

    Interest rates for Operating and Ownership loans for May 2023 are as follows:

    FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders.

    To access an interactive online, step-by-step guide through the farm loan process, visit the Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov.

    Commodity and Storage Facility Loans

    Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low.  Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA.

    Simplified Direct Loan Application

    FSA developed a new, simplified direct loan application for producers seeking a direct farm loan. The new application, reduced from 29 to 13 pages, provides improved customer experience for producers applying for loans and enables them to complete a more streamlined application. Producers now also have the option to complete an electronic fillable form or a traditional paper application for submission to their local FSA service center.

    Disaster Support

    FSA also reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the past year’s winter storms, drought, hurricanes and other natural disasters, that USDA has programs that provide assistance. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are prepared to deliver a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to agricultural producers and impacted communities. Many programs are available without an official disaster designation, including several risk management and disaster recovery options.

    Inflation Reduction Act Assistance for Distressed Producers

    On Aug. 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. It is a historic, once-in-a-generation investment and opportunity for the agricultural communities that USDA serves. Section 22006 of the IRA provided $3.1 billion for USDA to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain FSA direct and guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations are at financial risk.  In October 2022, USDA provided approximately $800 million in initial IRA assistance to more than 11,000 delinquent direct and guaranteed borrowers and approximately 2,100 borrowers who had their farms liquidated and still had remaining debt. In March 2023, FSA announced that, in the coming weeks, the agency would begin the process of providing approximately $123 million in additional, automatic financial assistance to farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial risk. This assistance will include:

    • Assistance to direct loan borrowers who were past due on a qualifying direct loan as of Sept. 30, 2022, but by fewer than 60 days, and remained delinquent on that loan as of March 27, 2023.
    • Assistance to borrowers who restructured a qualifying direct loan after Feb. 28, 2020, through primary loan servicing available through FSA.
    • Assistance to borrowers whose interest owed on their qualifying direct loan debt exceeds the principal owed (on a loan-by-loan basis).

    For more information producers can contact their local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov/inflation-reduction-investments/assistance.

    More Information

    Producers can explore available options on all FSA loan options at fsa.usda.gov or by contacting their local USDA Service Center.

  • Leadership Transition Planned for California Table Grape Commission

    Ian LeMay, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association will become President & CEO of the California Table Grape Commission in the spring of 2025. LeMay will succeed Kathleen Nave who has served in the lead staff role since January 1999 when she succeeded Bruce Obbink. Nave joined the commission in 1987 and plans to retire in the spring of 2025. LeMay will join the commission staff as incoming president once he finds and successfully transitions his successor.

    “We are thrilled that Ian accepted the offer to join the commission team and to transition into the lead role,” said Nave. “Ian is successfully leading an important industry organization now and will bring his experience, expertise, character, and knowledge of the issues growers face to the work of the commission. Having worked closely with Ian since he took over as president of the association almost four years ago I have seen his commitment to growers exhibited many times and truly look forward to working with him and watching him take on the worldwide promotion of California table grapes!”

    According to Nave, the California Table Grape Commission has a history of choosing its President & CEO carefully and then allowing time for the incoming leader to transition into the role. In its 55 year history there have been only three commission presidents, two of whom served for over 25 years.

  • Sonoma County Vintners Foundation Makes Emergency Relief Donation

    Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) is proud to announce they have activated their Emergency Relief Fund to support the needs of vineyard and agriculture workers, and those in our communities who have been impacted by recent storms and flooding. SCVF has donated $50,000 to Community Action Partnership Sonoma County (CAP Sonoma) and their Sonoma County Organizations Assisting in Disasters (COAD) Program. A check presentation ceremony was held on April 13 at the CAP offices.

    “Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County is grateful for the support from Sonoma County Vintners Foundation,” said Kathy Gonzales-Kane, Chief Program Officer for CAP. “This funding is critical to the work we are doing in partnership with the Sonoma County Communities Active in Disaster (COAD) and the Sonoma County Long-Term Recovery Group to support the recovery of those who suffered significant damage to their homes or livelihood during the 2023 winter flooding.”

    In January 2023, COAD mobilized to partner with Sonoma County on two Winter Storm Recovery Support Centers (RSCs) and a hotline, where 1,110 intakes for emergency assistance were completed. CAP Sonoma and COAD then distributed Emergency Flood Assistance payments of $250-$800 to 1,008 eligible applicants. They also distributed gift cards to 1,000 households in three months. After 110 households reported being either displaced from their homes or in need of infrastructural support, they are being provided with long-term recovery support by COAD’s Long-Term Recovery Group (of which CAP Sonoma is a core member).

    SCVF is also partnering with Community Foundation Sonoma County (CFSC) to expand relief to more members of the local community. The Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to Catholic Charities to provide disaster case management and financial assistance.

    “We are deeply privileged to continue assisting our community in this time of need and are grateful for the continued generosity and support of our Sonoma County wine community, Community Foundation Sonoma County, and our Sonoma County Vintners Foundation partners and donors,” said Michael Haney, Executive Director of Sonoma County Vintners Foundation. “We are proud to partner with our friends at CFSC once again and it is truly an honor to provide this essential assistance during these challenging times. Providing this type of support for those in need is exactly why we formed the SCVF Emergency Relief Fund.”

    The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation Emergency Relief Fund was created to adapt to the needs of the Sonoma County community as unfortunate and emergency situations arise. Over the past five years, the SCVF Emergency Relief Fund has donated over $380,000 to provide needed resources for wildfire, flood, and pandemic support and emergency relief programs.

    “At Community Foundation Sonoma County, we are deeply committed to fostering the resilience and recovery of our community and offering support to the families and individuals affected by recent events,” said Elly Grogan, Interim Vice President for Community Impact, Community Foundation Sonoma County. “We are proud to join forces with the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation in providing a $100,000 grant to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Our combined efforts will strengthen vital disaster relief programs, accelerating the healing process and ensuring that our community emerges stronger and better prepared for the future.”

    In addition to providing financial support, Sonoma County Vintners encourages businesses, community support organizations and individuals to make donations to assist with flood relief efforts and disaster mitigations in our community.

    Please consider making a tax-deductible charitable contribution online to SCVF today at sonomawine.com/foundation and designating it for the Emergency Relief Fund.

    About Sonoma County Vintners Foundation
    Sonoma County Vintners Foundation provides support to the local community through philanthropy and charitable giving. Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) is an accredited 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1988. Its purpose is to consistently support local nonprofit organizations that address issues within the Sonoma County community. SCVF cultivates a vibrant and diverse Sonoma County by elevating lives through charitable events and philanthropic giving. Fundraising efforts have a direct impact in the areas of education & literacy, health & human services, the environment and arts & culture. With SCVF’s many initiatives including the Emergency Relief Fund, the organization is able to impact all needs, ranging from the immediate to the long term. Learn more at sonomawine.com/foundation.

    About Sonoma County Wine Auction
    Sonoma County Wine Auction brings the region’s renowned winemakers and growers together with distinguished collectors and generous bidders for an opportunity to acquire some of Sonoma County’s top wines and bid on once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. Named one of the nation’s top charitable auctions by Wine Spectator, the proceeds raised benefit local Sonoma County charitable organizations. Since its inception, Sonoma County Wine Auction has raised millions of dollars to help fund charitable organizations focusing on education & literacy, health & human services, the environment and arts & culture, and has supported more nonprofits than any other fundraising event in Sonoma County. Learn more at sonomacountywineauction.com.

    About Community Action Partnership Sonoma County (CAP Sonoma)
    Community Action Partnership Sonoma County (CAP Sonoma) changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes Sonoma County a better place to live. CAP Sonoma cares about the entire community and is dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other. CAP Sonoma’s mission is to create pathways for economic security that last from one generation to the next. They partner with low-income families to help them achieve financial stability by building community and advocating for social and economic justice. CAP Sonoma has been fighting poverty and challenges among Sonoma County’s most vulnerable populations since 1967. They offer comprehensive family-centered, evidence-based programs throughout Sonoma County. Learn more at capsonoma.org.

    About Community Foundation Sonoma County
    Community Foundation Sonoma County is the hub of philanthropy for the county, connecting people, ideas, and resources to benefit all who live here. Founded in 1983, CFSC works with philanthropists to create plans that will make an impact in our community and become part of their family’s legacy. CFSC launched the Sonoma County Resilience Fund for disaster recovery in 2017 and has granted more than $17 million to support local recovery efforts. Since 1983, CFSC has made more than $292 million in grants to nonprofit organizations working to better their communities. Learn more at sonomacf.org.

  • Farm Labor Contractors ACP Citrus Harvest Compliance Agreements Due June 15

    Announced by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division (CPDPD), the CDFA’s Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) quarantine program now requires all harvesters/farm labor contractors (FLCs) – referring to any person/establishment who employs people to perform work related to grove management and/or harvesting commercial citrus fruit – to have a valid compliance agreement to harvest citrus groves.
    FLCs will have until June 15, 2023 to obtain and sign a compliance agreement. Any FLCs operating in citrus groves without a compliance agreement by the June 15th deadline will be in violation of quarantine requirements.
    Compliance agreements can be provided to you by directly reaching out to your local CDFA ACP/HLB Program contact. Completed compliance agreements can be returned to CDFA via local regulatory staff or by email to ACPCompliance@cdfa.ca.gov. Contact details by region can be found below:

    Los Angeles/Orange Counties – Stephanie Fragoso 
    Stephanie.Fragoso@cdfa.ca.gov
    Phone: 323-576-2762

    Riverside/San Bernardino Counties – Christina Huggins
    Christina.Huggins@cdfa.ca.gov
    Phone: 951-880-9447

    San Diego/Imperial Counties – Jemellee Urbino
    Jemellee.Urbino@cdfa.ca.gov
    Phone: 619-698-0211

    San Joaquin Valley – Lea Pereira
    Lea.Pereira@cdfa.ca.gov
    Phone: 559-625-1040

    Ventura County/Central Coast – Nathan Rosenblum
    Nathan.Rosenblum@cdfa.ca.gov
    Phone: 805-437-8726

    CDFA Sacramento HQ
    ACPCompliance@cdfa.ca.gov
    Phone: 916-274-6300

  • CA Valencia Orange Production Forecast At 16.2 Million Cartons

    The March 2022-23 Valencia orange forecast is 16.2 million cartons. This forecast was based on the results of the 2022-23 Valencia Orange Objective Measurement (O.M.) Survey, which was conducted from January 9 to February 28, 2023. Estimated fruit set per tree, fruit diameter, trees per acre, bearing acreage, and oranges per carton were used in the statistical models estimating production.

    The season experienced scattered precipitation in some areas which caused a rainy start to the growing season. Survey data indicated an average fruit set per tree of 616, a 13.9% increase from the previous year and 12.2% above the five-year average of 549. The average March 1 diameter was 2.391 inches, down 2.8% from the previous year and 5.1% below the five-year average of 2.520.

    SURVEY HISTORY

    A Valencia Orange Objective Measurement Survey was conducted from the 1985-86 to 1993-94 seasons before suspension due to a lack of funding. The survey has been conducted since it was reinstated for the 1999-00 season, with the exception of the 2006-07 season due to a substantial freeze. The data from the first three years after the survey was reinstated were used for research purposes in developing crop- estimating models.

    SURVEY SAMPLE

    A sample of 375 Valencia orange groves were randomly selected proportional to acreage, county, year planted, and variety representation in the state, with 340 of these groves being utilized in this survey. Once a grove was randomly chosen and grower permission was granted, two trees were randomly selected for each grove. For each randomly selected tree, its trunk was measured along with all connected branches. A random number table was then used to select a branch, and then all connected branches from the randomly-selected branch were measured.

    This process was repeated until a branch was reached with no significant limbs beyond it. This randomly-selected branch, called the terminal branch, was then closely inspected to count all fruit connected to it, as well as all of the fruit along the path from the trunk to the terminal branch. Since each selected path has a probability of selection associated with it, a probability- based method was then applied to estimate a fruit count for the entire tree.

    In the last week of the survey period, fruit diameter measurements were collected on the right quadrant of four trees surrounding the two sampled trees of every third sampled grove. These measurements were used to estimate an average fruit diameter per tree. The sampled groves were primarily in the top Valencia orange producing counties of Tulare, Kern, Fresno, Ventura, and San Diego.

  • Growers Spend $500,000 Per Year on Automation

    Growers are now spending an average of $500,000 a year on automation in response to the persistent ag labor shortage, according to the Specialty Crop Automation Report released today and commissioned by Western Growers.

    This is the second year the Specialty Crop Automation Report has been released by WG in collaboration with consultants at Roland Berger. The report, which tracks and measures industry progress in harvest automation across the fresh produce industry, is part of WG’s Global Harvest Automation Initiative, which aims to accelerate ag automation by 50 percent in 10 years.

    “This year’s report takes a deep dive into some new areas: The European market, Controlled Environment Agriculture, and the innovator’s side of automation,” said Walt Duflock, VP of Innovation at WG. “We found progress from a fundraising and traction perspective in key areas like weeding, spraying and harvest assist – and less progress in other key areas, notably harvest.”

    Among the report’s findings:
    • Around 70 percent of participating growers indicated that they had invested in automation in 2022, with an average annual spend of $450,000-$500,000 per grower. This shows a considerable increase since last year when average investments in automation were around $350,000 to $400,000 per grower per year.
    • Most progress was made in the weeding and harvest assist segments; market-ready solutions are able to meet grower economic targets and alleviate key challenges, such as lack of labor availability. Growers reported ROIs for weeding solutions of less than one to two years depending on the type of crop and technology used.
    • Growers want more trained agtech personnel, with 50 percent indicating that they had internal employees who dedicated the majority of their time to the integration of automation investments. This suggests that the process of elevating and upskilling the agriculture workforce is well underway.
    • The time it takes to build automation solutions is getting shorter and the costs are getting smaller thanks to overall advances in robotics and nonagriculture fields that benefit agtech startups, as well as the increasing talent pool that agtech startups are able to add to their teams.The Specialty Crop Automation Report is available for download by clicking here.

      About Western Growers:

      Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Western Growers’ members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. Connect and learn more about Western Growers on Twitter and Facebook.