California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • CA Preliminary Grape Crush Report Reveals Downswing

    The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service just released their preliminary grape crush report for 2022, revealing a total crush 3,620,595 tons, down 6.7% from the 2021 crush of 3,880,141 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1,885,875 tons, down 7.2% from 2021. White wine varieties crushed totaled 1,463,787 tons, down 8.6% from 2021. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 103,812, down 24.8% from 2021, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 167,121, up 54.9% from 2021.

    “The total California 2022 winegrape crush of 3.35 million tons, the lightest in over a decade, played a significant role in the overall market for grapes and bulk wine in 2022 and continues to be a contributing factor to the moderate to strong levels of demand the market is currently experiencing,” shared Audra Cooper, Central Coast Grape Broker at Turrentine Brokerage.

    The 2022 average price of all varieties was $910.80, up 5.7% from 2021. Average prices for the 2022 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $1,150.58, up 7.2% from 2021; white wine grapes, $682.07, up 1.0% from 2021; raisin grapes, $314.27, up 7.8% from 2021; and table grapes, $215.64, up 17.9% from 2021.

    In 2022, Cabernet Sauvignon surpassed Chardonnay as the variety with the largest percentage of the total tonnage crushed at 15.4%. Chardonnay accounted for the second largest percentage of the total crush at 14.4%. Raisin grape varieties crushed for wine accounted for 2.9% of the total crush and table varieties crushed for wine were 4.6% of the total crush.

    District 13 (Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono, Inyo Counties; and Kings and Tulare Counties north of Nevada Avenue (Avenue 192)), had the largest share of the State’s crush at 1,149,339 tons. The average price per ton in District 13 was $357.48.

    Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price at $6,847.19 per ton, up 12.2% from 2021. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second highest average price at $2,858.39 per ton, up 6.4% from 2021.

    The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon average price of $1,892.40 was up 13.8% from 2021 and the Chardonnay average price of $1,014.63 was up 3.9% from 2021. The 2022 average price for French Colombard was $330.64, up 1.9% from 2021, while the Zinfandel average price was up 0.7% from 2021, at $651.06 per ton.

    The entire Preliminary Grape Crush Report is available online at www.nass.usda.gov/ca. See the March issue of American Vineyard Magazine for an in-depth (and animated) analysis of the Crush Report.

  • New Beginnings for Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Camarillo

    In December 2022, the University of California (UC) acquired a 114-acre farm property on the west side of Camarillo to become the new home of the Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC), supported by an endowment bequeathed to the University of California by Saticoy farmer Thelma Hansen. The mission of the Thelma Hansen Fund is to support and maintain University research and extension activities for the sustainability and benefit of agriculture and natural resources in Ventura County.

    For the past 25 years, the Center has been located on the historic Faulkner Farm in Santa Paula. At 27 acres, HAREC was the smallest of the nine research and extension centers operated by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources throughout California. For many years, it hosted a popular school field trip program, a Master Gardener demonstration and training garden, and numerous research trials on fruit and vegetable crops and landscape plants. In 2019, it was decided that the Center should move to a larger property on or near the Oxnard Plain to expand research and extension capacity. The Faulkner Farm was eventually sold in March 2021 but a portion was leased back to the University to maintain research and educational activities until a new location was identified.

    A planning committee of agricultural stakeholders, UC and County staff, and external consultants embarked on the search for a new location and developed a provisional layout of the new facility. The search was complicated by a paucity of suitable farm properties for sale during that period. One of the desired features of the new site was a location on the Oxnard Plain in order to have a representative environment for doing research on high-value crops in Ventura County, such as strawberries. Other criteria were acreage, accessibility, having representative and diverse soil types, access to sufficient irrigation water of good quality, low risk of flooding, proximity to California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI), and municipal water and sewer access.

    The new farm location meets most of our search criteria and is representative of the coastal agriculture environment. Various soil types are present at the site, including clay, clay loam, loam and loamy sand, suitable for a variety of crops. Of the approximately 104 cultivable acres, 28 are certified organic, which will allow us to do research on organic as well as conventional crop production methods in the future. The farm has two agricultural wells, a 7-acre yard area with several shop buildings, and is fully tiled and set up for irrigation. The land is currently used to grow strawberries and vegetables but was a lemon orchard in the past. A bonus is its proximity to the Rodale Institute California Organic Center, which will enhance opportunities for collaboration, as well as Sterling Hills Golf Course, which has banquet facilities for large events.

    So, what are our plans now that we have found a new home for HAREC? Over the next 6 months, we will orchestrate the move from the Faulkner Farm to Camarillo, which will involve the transportation of two modular office buildings, a walk-in cooler, shed, various sea containers and all of our farm equipment, vehicles and tools. Seismic and other repairs will be needed at the new site before the buildings can be usable. Since a substantial part of the parcel is leased out for farming for the next three years, we will initiate and expand research projects and plantings on the remaining acreage.

    Then the long process of designing a new research and educational facility will begin with the help of stakeholders, staff, architects and engineers. The new facility, which is expected to be completed in 4 to 5 years, will have offices, conference rooms, laboratories, greenhouses, storage space, a demonstration kitchen and indoor and outdoor education areas. The facility will aim to be water efficient and energy neutral, relying on solar panels for much of its energy usage. The new site is envisioned to have Master Gardener demonstration gardens, a Student Organic Farm in collaboration with CSUCI and the Rodale Institute, a pollination garden with beehives, and a Compost Training Center. Other ideas on the table are the establishment of a Biological Control Research Center for Southern California and possibly a Fire Science Laboratory. Eventually, the UC Cooperative Extension Office in Ventura will also move to the new site for administrative and programmatic efficiency.

    The ultimate goal of the new Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center is to become a vibrant research and education hub that provides science-based solutions and is responsive to the needs of agricultural, rural and urban communities and the environment in Ventura County. Staffing levels will increase in order to expand current programming and bring new educational opportunities to the County, such as the UC Master Food Preserver and Master Beekeeper programs. A capital campaign will be needed to gather sufficient funds for the establishment of the facility. We look forward to gathering input on how to best fulfill our mission and future-proof the facility. — By Annemiek Schilder, UCANR

  • UC Davis Seeks Mighty Bacteria-Resistant Lettuce

    Maeli Melotto and her team at the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences are looking for strains of lettuce that are genetically stronger at resisting bacteria that can make people sick. Their work has led to the identification of a gene that could play a role in the plant’s susceptibility to E. coli, a bacterium that causes potentially lethal intestinal illness.

    If the team could develop lettuce that can fight off the bacterium, that would avoid thousands of cases of sickness each year, cut production costs for farmers and save millions of dollars in public health expenses.

    Lettuce “sweats” substances onto the surface of leaves that E. coli and other bacteria can eat. In addition, bacteria can live just below the surface of lettuce leaves. Melotto, a professor specializing in the interactions between plants and microbes, is studying the genetic factors that determine how long bacteria can endure in the leaves. She and her team looked at more than 300 samples of lettuce and how they react to the pathogens, identifying the gene responsible for letting them in.

    Their next step is to test whether removing that gene could make lettuce more resistant to bacteria.

    Maeli Melotto, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, and her team have found a gene she thinks governs whether lettuce can resist bacteria such as E. coli. (Trina Kleist/UC Davis)

    Some lettuce more likely to “feed” bacteria

    In a related study, Melotto’s team is looking at the surface of lettuce leaves and the layer just below the surface, which has tiny spaces where bacteria can live. The researchers want to learn what natural chemicals are in these two areas, and what compounds lettuce releases onto the surface of leaves that bacteria can use as food. Melotto expects to find that some types of lettuce are genetically disposed toward “feeding” bacteria.

    Melotto presented her findings at meetings earlier this year of the California Specialty Crops Council and the California Leafy Greens Research Board. Her work is funded in part by a five-year grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

  • How Late is Too Late for Winter NOW Orchard Sanitation?

    The removal of nuts remaining on almond trees from the prior year’s crop is an important winter sanitation practice for the management of navel orangeworm (NOW), Amyelois transitella. Residual nuts are called ‘mummies’ and the process of removing the mummies is referred to as a ‘mummy shake’ because they are mechanically shaken from trees. This practice is conducted during the dormant and delayed dormant season, a time when orchard access may be thwarted by the winter rains.

    Most growers strive to have the mummy shake complete by mid-January when buds are dormant and less likely to abscise from the vibration caused by a mechanical shaker. As the flower buds progress toward bloom, they become more sensitive to the shaker vibration and more likely to abscise. Studies conducted in the 1980s (Sibbett et al.) established that the shaking of mummies by January 31 (approximately 8 days prior to bloom) at a Kern County site did not adversely affect yield; however, the authors cautioned growers of the risk of delaying mummy shakes further, particularly on early blooming varieties and in locations in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Because bud development and bloom date advance with increasing latitude, the potential risk of early and mid-February mummy shakes was investigated by W. Asai (Pomology Consulting, Turlock, CA) in the northern San Joaquin Valley. This work, conducted at a more northern latitude, suggested shakes conducted in early February may not compromise yield.

    The lack of yield detriment attributed to a mummy shake-mediated bud loss may seem counterintuitive; however, simple concepts of tree physiology may help explain this phenomenon. Consider that only approximately 30% of the flowers on a tree set a crop. A given tree does not have the carbohydrate stores needed to set every flower. As a result, the loss of a subset of flower buds may have little effect on overall yield. Naturally, the risk of crop loss increases the closer the shake approaches bloom, and both research groups suggested that mummy shakes be complete prior to the pink bud stage of development.

    Although rainy years make it difficult for growers to access orchards and complete orchard sanitation tasks, the heightened soil moisture adversely affects NOW survival in comparison to dry winters. Mummy nuts on the ground support enhanced NOW survival on a dry orchard floor than on moist soil with winter vegetation in the row middles. The next step in managing overwintering populations of NOW is destruction of mummies by flailing or mowing. Flailing and mowing should be completed by March 1, prior to the emergence of NOW. The emergence profile of NOW varies by location, but the first flight generally starts in late March.

    Growers who have not completed their winter sanitation practices by the end of January should walk their orchards to assess bud development in consideration of a delayed mummy shake. Winter sanitation can reduce now damage by up to 80%, so an early February shake may be worth the effort if orchard access is possible and bud development has not advanced into pink tip. For more information on NOW management, visit www.ipm.ucdavis.edu. — By Cameron Zuber & Elizabeth Fichtner, UCANR

  • UCCE Seeks Statewide Input to Develop Future Wildfire Programs

    University of California Cooperative Extension invites English- and Spanish-speaking adults in California and natural resource professionals to complete a 15-minute anonymous survey to inform the development of wildfire-related education and outreach programs.

    Results of the survey will guide local and statewide programming at UCCE and be used to inform organizations, policymakers and scientists working to reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire throughout California.

    “Wildfires will continue to affect all Californians, either directly or indirectly,” said Katie Low, UCCE statewide fire coordinator. “It’s invaluable to have the input of as many people as possible to guide the development of our wildfire-related extension programs, so that they can provide the most useful resources and information to communities across California.”

    The survey asks questions about topics such as:

    • Gaps within existing educational programming and resources
    • Challenges community members are facing in addressing wildfire risk
    • Empowerment of communities to make property management decisions and prepare for wildfire
    • Acceptability of prescribed fire and other fuels treatments

    Fifty survey respondents who complete the survey by Feb. 28 will be selected at random to win a $20 prepaid gift card. To take the online survey, please visit https://bit.ly/UCCE_Fire_Survey.

    If you have any questions about this survey please contact your nearest fire or forestry advisor:

    • Luca Carmignani, UCCE fire advisor for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, carmignani@ucanr.edu
    • Alison Deak, UCCE fire advisor for Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties, aldeak@ucanr.edu
    • Katie Low, UCCE fire academic coordinator for Nevada and Placer counties, katlow@ucanr.edu
    • Barb Satink Wolfson, UCCE fire advisor for Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, bsatinkwolfson@ucanr.edu
    • Ryan Tompkins, UCCE forestry advisor for Plumas, Sierra, and Lassen counties, retompkins@ucanr.edu

    For more information about wildfire-related programming from University of California Cooperative Extension, please visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/ or the Facebook page https://bit.ly/fireSolutions.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

  • Relief Programs Now Available to Walnut Growers

    In this video, Joshua Rahm from the California Walnut Commission shares details on some new and upcoming government programs to aid walnut growers amidst these difficult times — some of which growers can act on now.  So watch this video now and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

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

  • What to Expect at the American Pistachio Conference

    In this video, American Pistachio Growers President Richard Matoian not only provides details on the latest pistachio shipment trends, but he also shares what growers can expect in attending what will likely be the largest American Pistachio Conference yet, coming up Feb. 27 – Mar. 1. Stay in the know and watch now!

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

  • North American Strawberry Symposium & Growers Association Conference

    Strawberry growers, researchers, and other industry members from around the globe are invited to attend the 10th North American Strawberry Symposium (NASS), a meeting of  to be held in conjunction with the annual North American Strawberry Growers Association (NASGA) conference, March 7-10, 2023 at the Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. California, where nearly 90% of U.S. strawberries are grown, features a unique coastal environment with its western ocean exposure, moderate temperatures, warm sunny days, and cool foggy nights –perfect for growing strawberries year-round.

    The Symposium will include two and a half days of workshops, reception, research presentations, marketing presentations, poster sessions and an award luncheon, and will be followed by a post- conference tour on March 10, which will encompass strawberry production in the region as well as the research, training and testing facilities at the CalPoly Strawberry Center. The Program Committee is committed to making this a world-class research symposium for growers and scientists, and we eagerly look forward to seeing you in San Luis Obispo.

    Subject areas for oral and poster presentations include: Global and North American Overviews, Breeding, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Disease & Pest Management, Propagation & Nursery Management, Cultural Practices, Indoor Production, Precision Agriculture, Robotics, Automation, Plant Nutrition and Water Management, Plant Physiology, Economics of Production Practices, Post-Harvest Quality Management, and Food Safety.

    Workshop topics include: Disease Management, Nursery Developments, Entomology, Strawberry Breeding Tools and Tips, Production Management/Plant Physiology, Getting Started with Automation/Precision Agriculture, Indoor Production, Methyl Bromide Alternatives, Novel Weed Management Approaches. View the full program HERE.

    Look for a mail-in registration form and more program details (abstract deadlines, keynote speakers, etc.) and opportunities for industry, organization and agency sponsorship on the NASGA website: http://www.nasga.org/. Please spread the word to fellow researchers and strawberry growers.

  • USDA to Gather Cash Rents Data for Cropland & Pasture

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the Cash Rents and Leases survey starting Feb. 6. The survey provides the basis for estimates of the current year’s cash rents paid for irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland, and permanent pasture. Over 241,000 survey recipients across the United States have been selected to complete the survey with nearly 5,400 in CA, which can be completed online at agcounts.usda.gov, by mail or phone. If respondents do not complete the survey by February 24, they may be contacted for an interview.

    “Survey response from as many farm operators as possible ensures that cash rental rates accurately represent their locality,” said Gary Keough, Director of the NASS Pacific Regional Office. “The data from the Cash Rents and Leases survey will also give landowners a useful tool in negotiating rental agreements and making other business decisions for their agricultural operations.”

    Information from this survey is also used in the Farm Service Agency Conservation Reserve Program as an alternative soil rental rate prior to finalizing new rates each year.

    In accordance with federal law, NASS keeps survey responses confidential. The data will be available in aggregate form only to ensure that no individual producer or operation can be identified. NASS will publish the state-level data on Aug. 4 and county-level data on Aug. 25 at https://www.quickstats.nass.usda.gov/. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Pacific Field Office at (800) 851-1127 or visithttps://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Cash_Rents_by_County/index.php.

  • Central Coast Olive Oil Competition Registration Now Open

    The Central Coast Olive Oil Competition, hosted annually by the California Mid-State Fair and in partnership with the Lodi Grape Festival, is now accepting entries. The 15th Annual competition will take place in April 2023 and feature olive oil from across the state of California.

    Olive oils are separated into two categories: extra virgin and flavored. The categories are then separated into classes by varietal which have been reorganized for 2023. The panel of competition judges, who are from across the state of California, evaluate each entry according to aroma, taste, and intensity, ranging from delicate to robust. Judges are qualified based on their experience using olive oil in cooking, education and production. The awarded organic oils (if applicable) will be noted as being organically produced.

    The early bird registration period is now through Friday, March 24 and is $65 per entry. From Saturday, March 25 to Sunday, April 2, registration increases to $75 per entry. Register today at https://cmsfw.fairwire.com/