California Ag Network

Category: Nut Industry

  • Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Announces Farm Bill Priorities

    Washington, D. C., (April 27, 2018) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations, has announced its 2018 farm bill priorities focusing on programs for a healthier America heading into Wednesday’s U.S. House Agriculture Committee meeting on the Farm Bill. The SCFBA appreciates House Agriculture Committee Chairman Conaway recognizing the importance of specialty crops in the initial draft of the legislation.

    The SCFBA legislative priorities include enhancing nutrition programs, continued support for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program, combatting invasive pests and diseases, and support for trade and research funding. In each case, these measures would assist the specialty crop industry’s ability to compete and grow in domestic and global markets.

    Specialty crop production, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery and greenhouse commodities, contributes significantly to the U.S economy, accounting for $66 billion in farm gate value and 33 percent of farm cash receipts for crops.

    The SCFBA was established to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop agriculture and improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy. It is co-chaired by the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, the National Potato Council and Western Growers Association.

    “Specialty crop producers across the nation are united in providing consumers with healthy eating options by expanding the consumption of fruits and vegetables, bolstering research and pest management and supporting grower initiatives to improve competitiveness,” said John Keeling, executive president and CEO of the National Potato Council. “For this work to continue, this next farm bill must address these priorities.”

    Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers Association, said, “SCFBA is advocating for a common set of priorities with this next farm bill, reflecting mutual objectives of U.S. growers and shippers across regions and commodities. We look forward to working with our allies in all specialty crop organizations who share many of our priorities, as well as with U.S. agriculture stakeholders.”

    Mike Stuart, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said, “We’re encouraged that lawmakers recognize the success of past farm bill investment in the specialty crop industry. We’re seeking their continued support for our growers who work every day to provide better access to higher quality and more affordable fruits and vegetables.”

    Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President of United Fresh Produce Association stated, “We are encouraged that support for fresh produce continues to be a priority for the committee. There are areas in this bill we would like to see improved but now more than ever, it will be vital for Congress to come together on both sides of the aisle in a bi-partisan manner which historically occurs to provide the support the industry needs.”

    In a letter to the House Agriculture Committee today, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance urged the following actions:

    Enhance funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) – The SCRI was established in 2008 to address the critical research needs of the specialty crop industry. Since then, 288 research projects for specialty crops have been funded, enhancing the industry’s competitive prominence in the domestic and international marketplace. SCRI is one of the most oversubscribed research programs; current funding allows for only 10 percent of the requested projects to be funded. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to dedicate $105 million annually for the SCRI program.

    Continue the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program at a full $9 million annually.Authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, TASC addresses technological barriers that prohibit or threaten the exports of U.S. specialty crops. TASC has been responsible for more than 275 grants to address these barriers even though it has only been funded at $9 million. A new ruling by the Office of Management and Budget means all new programs will lose their baseline funding by Sept. 30. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to ensure full funding in a reauthorized farm bill or if the current farm bill is extended.

    Increase funding to combat invasive pests and diseases. The specialty crop industry strongly supports efforts to protect the domestic market from the increasing threat of harmful plant pests and diseases entering the United States. The farm bill has provided funding and direction for innovative initiatives that help identify and mitigate offshore threats and improve pest detection and rapid response. More than 1,700 projects have been funded since this program’s inception in the 2008 Farm Bill. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to continue supporting these programs at $75 million annually, with the goal of enhancing its funding in five years by a modest $7.5 million to fund the National Clean Plant Network.

    Ensure healthy eating in low-income families. The farm bill has funded the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, which will reach more than 4 million low-income elementary students nationwide this year.SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to maintain the intent of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program while clarifying all forms of fruits and vegetables are permissible only when there are hardships preventing access to fresh.

    In addition, the SCFBA supports continued funding for the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), focused on retailers that operate year-round and have more accessible hours to maximize the opportunity for healthy food purchases. The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives (FINI) grant program focuses on SNAP families who spend 80 percent of their benefits with participating retailers. The SCFBA believes this program should only include fruits and vegetables. SCFBA supports the House Agriculture Committees efforts to increase FINI funding levels.

    Continue strong funding of Specialty Crop Block Grants.  One of the key aspects of the last two farm bills was the extension of the Specialty Crop Block Grant program through fiscal year 2018. The program is a much-needed effort to help specialty crop producer’s balance the challenges and uncertainties of agriculture production with improvements to their products and the access consumers have to those products.

    Increase access to foreign markets. Specialty crop growers face significant obstacles in the development of export markets and unique challenges because of the perishable nature of their products. The Market Access Program (MAP) assists producers in their efforts to create, expand and maintain access to foreign markets. The Alliance strongly supports continuing key programs that address sanitary, phytosanitary and marketing barriers to the export of U.S. specialty crops. SCFBA encourages the House Agriculture Committee to increase funding for the MAP program in the next Farm Bill.

  • Pistachio Canopy Management with Bob Beede

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    When do you start pruning pistachios? Topping, hedging, hand-pruning… How do you go about it? Watch this interview with UCCE Emeritus Farm Advisor Bob Beede as he shares some tips at the Annual American Pistachio Growers Conference. Read more about it in Bob’s monthly column in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Introducing New Almond Alliance CEO & Upcoming Convention

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    The Almond Alliance of California recently announced new President and CEO Elaine Trevino, who just started on the job at the beginning of this month. It was sad to lose former CEO Kelly Covello, who made tremendous contributions to the association and the almond industry, but the Board is excited to embark on a new era with Elaine, who introduces herself in this video and will address the industry at their upcoming annual convention, May 1-3. Watch this brief video and read more it in the April issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Farmers Concerned About Potential New Tariffs

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 5, 2018) – China has threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on American exports following President Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Agricultural exports are in the crosshairs, reported Thaddeus Miller in the Merced Sun-Star.

    China’s tariffs would first hit U.S. products such as avocados and nuts with 15 percent duties, the article says.

    “It doesn’t really matter which one it is, whether it’s alfalfa, almonds or wherever it may go,” said David Doll, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Merced County. “They’re as much political as they are anything else.”

    The potential tariff would have a significant impact on Merced County, where almonds are the second largest commodity valued at $578.5 million in 2016.

    The back and forth trade disputes happening between the U.S. and China make trade less predictable and could lead to disruptions that impact California food and wine producers, even before potential Chinese tariffs go into effect, said Dan Sumner, director of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Agricultural Issues Center in an interview with Julia Mitric of Capital Public Radio.

    If China hits the U.S. with a 15 percent tariff on wine, that’s a problem, Sumner said.

    “We may think California wine is special, but not everybody does,” Sumner said. “And if it’s 15 percent more expensive than it used to be because of the tariff, there’ll be a substantial reduction in how much gets sold in China.”

    Sumner said the proposed tariffs would likely hurt California’s tree nut growers more than its wine producers because a larger proportion of almonds and pistachios are exported.

    In 2016, the value of pistachios sold to China was $530 million, more than three times the value of wine exports to that country, Mitric reported.

  • New Early ‘Gumdrop’ Pistachio Variety is Finally Here

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    What if you could have a pistachio variety that you could harvest earlier to reduce the chances of having Navel Orangeworm damage and concern for Aflatoxin levels?  Well, the new early ‘Gumdrop’ pistachio is here.  At the Annual American Pistachio Growers Conference, Bob Klein from the Pistachio Research Board talked about this new variety that is now available to growers on a small scale.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Start off your Orchard Right with Minimal Weed Issues

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    With all the new tree nut orchards being planted in California, it’s important to remember that weed management is a priority, and it starts even before the planting process. Watch this brief interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Kurt Hembree as he explains, and read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Nuts for Calories!

    Beltsville, Maryland, (March 30, 2018) – Not all of nuts’ calories are taken up by the human body; on some of them, the body gets a free pass, according to studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists.

    ARS scientists have shown that some tree nuts, such as pistachios, actually have fewer calories than previously thought by improving the method used for estimating calories.

    Physiologists David Baer and Janet Novotny, with ARS’s Food Components and Health Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, recently looked at how many of an almond’s, walnut’s, and pistachio’s calories can actually be used by the human body rather than how many calories are in each nut.

    For example, while an ounce of almonds has approximately 160 calories, not all of those calories may be available to be used by the human body. When food is eaten, it is broken down into its nutritional components, and its calories are burned for energy. However, just because nutrients are present doesn’t mean the body will readily use them. This is the concept of “bioavailability.”

    Many factors beyond a food’s basic composition can influence the bioavailability of its calories. With nuts, that includes whether they are raw, roasted, or ground, and even how well they are chewed.

    Nutrition is an integral component of one’s lifestyle—either in a positive or negative way. Over the years, nutrition science has become more sophisticated, and research by ARS scientists is showing that counting calories isn’t always as simple as it may seem.

    In their studies, Baer and Novotny found the calorie uptake from pistachios was 22.6 calories per gram, which is 5 percent less than the currently accepted 23.7 calories per gram. An ounce of pistachios has 161.9 calories, but only 153.8 calories are bioavailable. That may not sound like a lot, but a calorie reduction of 5 percent can be quite significant on a daily basis.

    Providing accurate information about metabolizable energy (ME) content-calories-of foods is important for reliable food labeling and has health ramifications, according to Novotny.

    In a study of walnuts, the team found an even greater discrepancy between what is reported on the label and the ME value. They found that a 1-ounce serving of walnuts contained 146 calories, which is 39 calories—21 percent—less than the label, according to Baer.

    Baer and his colleagues also looked at almonds, and here, too, found the trend continued. Almonds were found to have 32 percent fewer calories of ME than what is on the label: 129 calories instead of 168-170 calories.

  • Almond Board Announces “In the Orchard” Workshops

    Modesto, Calif., (March 22, 2018) – In the next month, Almond Board of CA will host four “In the Orchard” workshops featuring Irrigation and Nitrogen Budgeting and Compliance. Hosted by the Almond Board of California, in conjunction with local irrigation companies, these workshops will provide an update on the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, a demo of automated and optimized irrigation infrastructure, and an overview of the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) online tools to assist growers’ increasing needs.

    With the ever-changing regulatory environment, these topics are more timely than ever. Continuing Education Credits for Self-Certified Growers (from CURES) are being applied for. Beyond meeting with industry experts and learning the latest and greatest updates, this short, half-day workshop will allow you to learn about the tools being offered to help understand these hot topics.

    Four workshops will be hosted in the almond-growing region on the following dates:

    • Woodland – March 27, co-hosted by Alsco Geyer Irrigation Inc.
    • Oakdale – March 28, co-hosted by Waterford Irrigation
    • Bakersfield – April 10, co-hosted by Bennett & Bennett
    • Firebaugh – April 11, co-hosted by Agri-Valley Irrigation, LLC

    Lunch is complimentary. Call for location details.

    Attendees can RSVP to, Rebecca Bailey, at rbailey@almondboard.com or 209-343-3245.

  • Roof Rats Unnerve Farm Workers, Damage Orchard Crops

    Davis, Calif., (March 22, 2018) – Monitor for rodent activity and use bait stations before the growing season to prevent problems, UC ANR scientists recommend.

    Roof rats are running rampant in California orchards this year, according to UC Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists.

    “In pistachio and other nut orchards, roof rats are burrowing and nesting in the ground where they’re chewing on irrigation lines, causing extensive damage,” said Rachael Long, UC Cooperative Extension advisor. “They are also nesting in citrus trees, feeding on the fruit and terrifying field workers when they jump out as people are picking fruit. The chewing pests are also girdling citrus limbs, causing branch dieback.”

    The wet winter of 2017 led to lots of weed seeds for rats to eat. “Last season, rats were also nibbling on pomegranates, avocados, and other fruit and nut crops, rendering them unmarketable,” Long said.

    Holes in the ground around the base of pistachio trees throughout a Yolo County orchard puzzled the grower.

    “We looked for ground squirrels, but never saw any,” Long said. “We set up game cameras, but only got birds and rabbits. We put rodent bait in the holes, but the digging didn’t stop.”

    Long, the pest detective, cracked the case by consulting Niamh Quinn, UC Cooperative Extension human-wildlife interactions advisor based in Irvine. “She informed us that the damage we were seeing was from roof rats.”

    Burrowing roof rats sounds like an oxymoron. While roof rats generally don’t burrow in urban environments, their country cousins have been known to burrow.

    “It’s not true that they don’t burrow,” Quinn said. “When I worked as staff research associate for Roger Baldwin, UC Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist, that is mostly what we studied, burrowing roof rats in orchards.”

    Roof rats are nocturnal animals that climb trees and burrow underground.

    Control measures – Baldwin said, “It seems to be a good year for rats in a number of different areas and crops throughout the state. I’ve received more questions and comments about rats this year than perhaps the last 10 years combined. As for bait application, putting bait down burrow systems for rats doesn’t usually work too well, so I’m not surprised that approach didn’t work. Growers will likely have better luck with bait stations in the trees.”

    Because the rats climb, Baldwin suggests attaching bait stations to tree branches.

    “In addition, elevating the bait stations will eliminate access to bait for many protected mammal species, such as kangaroo rats,” Long said. “The bait diphacinone grain can be purchased from some ag commissioners’ offices. This is what Roger Baldwin said they tested and it worked.”

    As for the bait stations, they should be designed so that there isn’t any spillage for nontarget animals to eat, Long said.

    When roof rat outbreaks occur, rodenticides are often needed to prevent crop damage. However, timing is critical as diphacinone use is highly restrictive and not allowed during the growing season, which is beginning as the weather warms.

    “Check the product label for application instructions,” Long reminds growers. “It’s the law.”

    Because roof rats climb, UC Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist Rager Baldwin recommends attaching bait stations to tree branches.

    Identifying the pest – One way for growers to identify whether they have roof rats is by the size of the burrows. The nocturnal pests are active above ground in trees and below ground.

    “Roof rats can forage away from their nest, so you won’t likely find signs of their activity, such as rat droppings outside their burrow, to help identify them,” Long said.

    Ground squirrels are active during the day, so they are more likely to be seen, dig holes about 4 inches in diameter and forage above ground near their burrows. Vole and mouse holes are 1- to 2-inches in diameter. Roof rat holes are typically 3 to 4 inches in diameter and might have nut shells in front of them, for example pistachio or almond shells. Rabbits will feed on seedling crops, but do not dig burrows.

    Roof rats are prolific breeders that reproduce year-round, according to Baldwin. Females typically have three to five litters per year with five to eight young, enabling their populations to rapidly increase. The omnivores feed on a wide variety of plant and animal materials, allowing them to adapt to any environment, including urban and agricultural lands.

     

    “Rats are sneaky and hard to spot,” Long said. “If you see damage, including digging in the soil but no wildlife, suspect rats.”

    For more information on controlling roof rats, download Quinn and Baldwin’s free UC ANR publication 8513, Managing Roof Rats and Deer Mice in Nut and Fruit Orchards at http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=8513.

    For more information about ground squirrels, download the free UC IPM Best Management Guidelines http://www.groundsquirrelbmp.com or UC IPM Pest Note http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7438.html.

    Roof Rats are causing damage in nut and tree fruit orchards.
    Roof rat holes are typically 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
    Ground squirrels are active during the day and their burrows are 4 inches or more in diameter.

  • Successes & Concerns for the American Pistachio Industry

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Pistachio growers just enjoyed gathering for the annual American Pistachio Growers Conference last week. Watch this conference wrap-up interview with APG Executive Director Richard Matoian as he shares the current State of the Pistachio Industry, both the successes, and some concerns for the industry moving forward. Read more about it in the coming issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!