California Ag Network

Category: Poultry

  • Meat Institute: FDA Proposed GRAS Reforms Good First Step

    The Meat Institute said the proposed changes to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) generally recognized as safe (GRAS) regulations are a good first step but it will continue to work with the Administration to ensure reforms protect food safety, foster innovation and maintain an affordable food supply.
    “The Meat Institute supports updating the GRAS framework in a way that strengthens consumer confidence while preserving a science-based, risk-based regulatory system,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “We will work closely with FDA and FSIS to ensure reforms continue to protect food safety, support innovation, and preserve affordable meat and poultry options for consumers.”
    “Consumers deserve confidence that the ingredients in their food have been rigorously evaluated for safety — and an updated GRAS process can deliver that transparency without disrupting an abundant, affordable food supply.
    “GRAS reform should improve transparency, establish a consistent national standard, while recognizing the unique regulatory framework that governs meat and poultry, where FSIS relies on FDA’s safety evaluations to approve substances as safe and suitable,” said Potts. “Close coordination between the two agencies is essential to consistent implementation.”
    The Meat Institute will provide comments during the comment period including the following priorities for regulators to consider:
    Practical timelines. New requirements should include adequate implementation time for manufacturers to comply.
    Preserving longstanding safe uses. Reform should not disturb ingredients with an established safety record.
    FDA-FSIS coordination. Close collaboration between the two agencies is critical to consistent implementation across the food supply.
    The Meat Institute warns that without thoughtful implementation, reform could delay new technologies and ingredients that improve food safety, extend shelf life, reduce food waste, and help manufacturers meet evolving consumer expectations.
    “The Meat Institute encourages HHS and FDA to pursue GRAS reform through a transparent, science-based, and collaborative approach that provides regulatory certainty for industry while protecting consumers,” said Potts.
    — Story contributed by the Meat Institute

  • Expanded Market Access to Namibia is a Win for American Poultry Producers

    U.S. Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins announced American poultry producers will have greater market access to Namibia, which will now accept fresh, frozen, and chilled poultry exports from the United States. The Trump Administration continues to take bold action to break down non-tariff barriers and defend current market access for farmers and ranchers.

    “President Trump is renegotiating the status quo of bad trade deals that have left behind American farmers and ranchers for far too long. Our agriculture is the best in the world, and under President Trump’s leadership, we are providing more markets for farmers to share their bountiful harvest. The announcement today is a win for farmers, a win for exporters, and a win for freedom-loving nations who want access to safe, high-quality U.S. food,” said Secretary Rollins.

    Effective July 1, U.S. exporters are now eligible to ship fresh, frozen, or chilled poultry and poultry products to Namibia, unlocking a market valued at $15 million. In addition, USDA successfully negotiated the removal of burdensome export and transit permit requirements for processed poultry products—reopening a previously restricted channel.

    Namibia’s decision to recognize U.S. food safety standards and the work performed by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, affirms the global reputation of USDA’s inspection system, which ensures that American poultry products are not only competitively priced, but rigorously verified for safety and wholesomeness.

    This trade win follows four years of inaction by the Biden Administration, which caused the agricultural trade balance to go from a trade surplus under President Trump to a nearly $50 billion trade deficit under President Biden. Secretary Rollins has traveled to the U.K. and Italy, and will travel to Japan, Vietnam, India, Peru, and Brazil over the next three months to fight for American farmers and ranchers. Other USDA Trade Missions this year include the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mexico.

  • Meat Institute Expands Legislative Affairs and Marketing Teams with New Hires

    The Meat Institute has announced the expansion of its legislative affairs and marketing teams with the addition of two new employees.

    Chris Chaffee joins the Meat Institute as Director of Legislative Affairs working with Vice President of Legislative Affairs Nathan Fretz advocating for the meat and poultry industry with members of congress and federal officials. Chaffee will also help manage the Meat Institute’s Political Action Committee, MeatPAC.

    “Chris Chaffee has extensive experience in advocacy, as well as serving in various roles across state and federal government,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “He will be an excellent representative of the industry with lawmakers and with the Trump Administration as we look to roll back burdensome regulations and address other concerns.”

    Previously, Chaffee led efforts to promote the leadership of American agriculture as Director of Industry Relations with the U.S. Farming and Ranching Foundation. Prior to that, he served as Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison in the Trump Administration, where he led outreach to the food and agricultural community and coordinated policy communications across multiple federal agencies. In addition, Chaffee has served at the state government level, including for Iowa’s economic development agency and the governor of New Jersey. A Kansas City native, Chaffee graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in finance and international business.

    Brian Peteritas has been hired as Marketing Manager for the Meat Institute to oversee the Institute’s email marketing and social media efforts with a focus on integrated marketing campaigns for events.

    “The Meat Institute is always looking for ways to share educational events and networking opportunities with our membership and beyond,” said Julie Anna Potts. “Brian’s expertise in digital marketing will help us to better promote the programming our generous sponsors provide for our members’ continuous improvement.”

    Peteritas has worked in the association world for nine years and was previously with the American Frozen Food Institute and the National Apartment Association. He earned his B.A. in Communications from Penn State University and also holds a Digital Marketing Professional certificate from the Digital Marketing Institute and the American Marketing Association. Brian resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

    About the Meat Institute
    The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.

  • Reusing Chicken Litter Shows Benefits

    Chicken is the most consumed protein in the United States. According to the National Chicken Council, the U.S. produced more than 9.2 billion broiler chickens in 2019. US consumers spent more than 95 billion dollars on chicken products.

    All these broilers – chickens raised for meat – need millions of tons of litter, or bedding material. Reusing chicken litter can save costs. There exists some health and safety concerns though.

    A new study shows that the environment in reused poultry litter can deter growth of pathogens like Salmonella.

    “When you read or hear that broiler litter is reused to raise multiple flocks of chickens, the typical reaction is that it must be bad for food safety,” says Adelumola Oladeinde, a co-author of the recent study. “Our study demonstrates the exact opposite.”

    Oladeinde is a researcher at the USDA’s National Poultry Research Center in Athens. He and his colleagues found that ‘good’ bacteria in used poultry litter can hinder Salmonella growth.

    “It may be worthwhile to invest time and resources to characterize the bacteria in reused litter,” says Oladeinde. “We can develop the promising ones into beneficial microbes for better chicken gut health.”

    The study also explored litter characteristics, such as moisture and ammonia levels. These characteristics can dramatically affect the litter microbiome – the mix of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in litter.

    “Our findings provide new information on the relationship between the physical environment of broiler litter and its microbiome,” says Oladeinde. “Management techniques that account for both factors may help reduce Salmonella in chickens.”

    Chicken litter plays a big role in determining broiler health. After a broiler chick gets to a farm, it usually spends the next several weeks pecking and living on litter.

    In fact, chicks begin to eat litter even before eating from feeding troughs or drinking. The microbiome present in the litter likely become the ‘first settlers’ in the guts of the chicks.

    “These first microbes play a key role in determining gut health,” says Oladeinde. “Therefore, it is critical to determine what a beneficial litter microbiome looks like.”

    The team collected samples of reused poultry litter from the University of Georgia Poultry Research Center. The litter was used to raise three flocks of broiler chickens under conditions like those used in broiler farms. “Each sample represents a unique broiler litter environment,” says Oladeinde.

    In the lab, researchers measured characteristics of the litter samples. Then they added Salmonella to each sample. After that, the samples were tested for levels of Salmonella, other bacteria, and physical characteristics.

    Within two weeks of adding Salmonella, most samples developed predictable microbiomes. Certain microbes, such as Nocardiopsis bacteria, seemed to reduce growth of Salmonella.

    That makes sense, according to Oladeinde. Some species of Nocardiopsis bacteria are known to produce antibiotics and toxins. These compounds could be keeping Salmonella levels low in the litter samples.

    A key aspect of reusing broiler litter is how long to wait before reuse. This waiting period is called litter downtime.

    “For farmers, a shorter downtime will result in growing more birds through the year,” says Oladeinde. However, we know little about how downtime affects litter microbiome.

    Results from the study show that surveying levels of specific bacteria could help determine if litters have had enough downtime. That could be of big help to farmers.

    “Poultry litter is a complex environment to study,” says Oladeinde. “We showed that the reused litter after two weeks of downtime had a microbiome that was unfavorable to Salmonella.”

    Oladeinde aims to repeat these experiments with litter from various sources. He also wants to test for multiple Salmonella strains. “These studies will tell us about the underlying mechanisms behind reusing litter and reducing Salmonella,” he says.

    Read more about this research in Journal of Environmental Quality. This work was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

  • USDA California Crop Weather Report

    WEATHER

    Temperature highs ranged from the mid 40s to low 70s in the mountains, low 60s to low 80s along the coast, low 60s to mid 80s in the valley, and low 60s to high eighties in the desert.  Temperature lows ranged from the mid 10s to high 40s in the mountains, mid 30s to mid 50s along the coast, low 30s to mid 60s in the desert, and low 40s to mid 60s in the valley.

     

    FIELD CROPS

     In Tulare County, winter grain plants were in different stages of growth, with most wheat, oats and barley coming close to maturity.  Some wheat, oats, and barley fields were being treated for weed control.  With the added rain, alfalfa continued to thrive and was growing well.  Corn was being planted.  Safflower planting was finished with most emerged.  Due to cold weather, cotton planting was behind schedule.  Rice ground preparation was ahead of schedule with ground work done in the Sacramento Valley.

     

    FRUIT CROPS

     Stone fruit orchards continued to near the end of bloom and immature stone fruit was steadily developing. Nectarines, peaches, and plumscontinued to size as expected. Cherry and pear fruit were sizing also, but still in the immature stages of growth. Pomegranates, persimmons, and grapes continued to leaf out, with warm weather boosting grape vine budding. Lemon and grapefruit harvest continued. Navel oranges, tangelo, and mandarin harvest progressed well. Tangerine groves continued to be covered with netting to prevent pollination by bees during the bloom period.

     

    NUT CROPS

    Almond development was ongoing, with a few areas predicting a more than favorable crop. Walnuts continued to awaken from winter dormancy. Pistachio leaf out remained steady with no reported issues.

     

    VEGETABLE CROPS

    Summer vegetable fields were prepared for planting.  Processing and fresh tomatoes were showing good growth.  Artichokes were harvested in San Mateo County.  Onion, garlic and parsley fields were growing well in Fresno County. Tulare County reported summer vegetables developed well with warm temperatures and adequate rains.  Strawberries were produced and grew well. Garlic, onions and peas did well under mulch.

     

    LIVESTOCK

     Recent precipitation and the week’s warming temperatures promoted range development. Rangeland and non-irrigated pasture were reported to be in good condition. Movement of cattle to spring pasture began. Some bee hives were moved to citrus orchards and to the foothills.

  • Meat and Poultry Producers Provide Food for Families in Pandemic

    The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) today said meat and poultry producers are leaning in to continue efforts to meet the global demand for meat under difficult circumstances.

    “As the Coronavirus began to spread overseas, our members acted to protect their employees and develop contingency plans to ensure plants could still provide food for families around the world,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “With increased demand in retail, our members acted quickly to adapt, taking steps to keep operations running at normal or increased capacity.”

    Meat and poultry retail sales increased 7.3% for the week ending March 8, 2020, and deli meat sales advanced 4.8% due to a shift from foodservice production. (Data and insights provided by IRI and 210 Analytics, LLC.) For more detailed information go here.

    “In these uncertain times, the data shows consumers are turning to meat and poultry to provide their families with the nourishment and comfort they need,” Potts said. “Our members are committed to meeting this need.”

    Recognizing the pressure on employees, especially hourly employees with children out of school and day care, companies have acted immediately to enhance benefits, including paid sick leave and improving access to health care to treat or detect the virus and waiving co-pays and deductibles. The Meat Institute is working with members and the federal government to anticipate and address other labor concerns.

    Companies are educating employees on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. They also recognize the critical value of the personal effort and sacrifice of employees up and down the food supply chain.

    “Perhaps most important is the generosity of member companies in donating meat or funds to foodbanks and other charities to support those in need in their communities,” said Potts.

    The Meat Institute is working with livestock groups, food and beverage industry trade associations, manufacturing organizations, USDA, congress and the White House to ensure meat and poultry producers can operate as critical infrastructure.

    “Member plants must be allowed to keep running to provide critical protein to the food supply chain,” said Potts. “The Meat Institute is encouraging members to work with state and local health authorities to enhance their understanding of meat production, especially the extensive and frequent cleaning and sanitation of facilities.”

    Communicating industry concerns to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Meat Institute sought and gained assurances that inspection service will continue and that actions are being taken to address labor shortages caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

    The Meat Institute signed a letter to federal, state, and local leaders across the country urging them to follow federal guidelines in exempting meat packing facilities, including suppliers and truck drivers, from gathering restrictions and curfews related to the Coronavirus. Emerging inconsistent policies have created confusion and delay in several areas of the United States.

    Mindful of the disruption the Coronavirus pandemic has caused in the cattle markets, the Meat Institute is working with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and committed to do everything it can to alleviate the adverse effects the pandemic is having on these critically important suppliers.

    “Everyone benefits from a transparent marketing system that ensures effective price discovery,” said Potts, “Simply put, packers need cattle producers and cattle producers need packers, and the nation’s consumers need us working together.”

    The North American Meat Institute is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry.  The Meat Institute’s members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufacture the equipment and ingredients needed to produce the safest and highest quality meat and poultry products.

  • Tulare County Crop Report (For the week ending December 28, 2019)

    SMALL GRAINS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS:

    Winter grain crop planting is finished. Winter grain plants are beginning to emerge from the soil. Some wheat, oats, and barley fields are being treated for weed control, as the winter wheat germination will increase due to high moisture.

     

    DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, NUTS, AND GRAPES:

    Almond and pistachio harvest have ended. Dead and fallen almond and pistachio trees are being removed and burned or chipped. Older vineyards are being removed. Pistachios are being exported to Israel, Italy, Spain, Turkey, China, Korea, Poland Germany India, Singapore, Ukraine, Switzerland, the Philippines, Lithuania, India, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong. Almonds are being exported to Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Colombia, India, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, South Africa, Indonesia, Chile, Barbados, Belgium, and Turkey. Black-eyed beans are being exported to the United Kingdom. Grape vineyards are being pruned and fertilized. Table grapes are being exported to Mexico, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Wine Grape vineyards are being pruned and planted with cover crops. Pomegranates from cold storage are being exported to Mexico. Walnuts are being exported to Italy, Turkey, and Morocco. Persimmons continue to be harvested, packed, and sent mainly to domestic markets, but a few loads continue to be exported to Mexico.

     

    CITRUS, AVOCADOS, AND OLIVES:

    Navel oranges, lemons, and limes continue to be harvested. Navel orange maturity testing is complete, and fruit is being exported to Malaysia, Peru, China, Korea, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Vietnam, Singapore, Ukraine, Switzerland, Chile, Ecuador, Australia, and New Zealand. High sugar and acid navels are being exported to Korea and Japan. Organic Clementine Mandarins are being picked and packed for U.S. and Mexico markets. Blood oranges are being packed for domestic markets. Melogolds are being harvested and sent to Korea and Japan. Olives are undergoing post-harvest pruning.

     

    VEGETABLES, MELONS, HERBS, AND BERRIES:          

    Winter vegetables are in various stages of growth. Strawberries are continuing to develop under plastic mulch. Peas are germinating. Blueberries are being pruned and prepared for the winter.

     

    LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY:

    Irrigated pastures are in good to excellent condition. Non-irrigated pastures are in better condition from the recent rains which was a great benefit for the rangeland forage.

     

    TOM’S ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

    Winter storms are making their way into the valley this week. This will be good for many of the winter grain and silage crops. The snow accumulation will be good for refilling local reservoirs next spring and higher elevation pastures. Local nurseries have an increased demand for bare root trees and berries.

  • Tulare County Crop Report (Week Ending August 24, 2019)

    Small Grains, Other Field Crops:

    Cotton fields are in full bloom and bolls are filling. Alfalfa hay continues to be cut and baled. Corn for silage and related summer row crops are being harvested, and land is being fertilized in preparation for the next crop. Dried beans are being shipped to Southern California. Black-eyed beans are maturing and drying in fields.

    Deciduous Tree Fruits, Nuts, And Grapes:

    Mature stone fruit continues to be harvested. Stone fruit orchards continue to be summer pruned, topped, and dried prunings are being shredded. Old, harvested stone fruit orchards continue to be pushed out and burned to clear the field for replanting. Peaches, nectarines, plums, and pluots continue to be exported to Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Harvesting of Asian pears is accelerating, but exports are very slow. Pecan, pistachio, and walnut nuts continue to develop. Pistachio nuts are being exported to Turkey, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, Israel, and Cyprus. Almonds are being harvested and are being exported to Germany, France, Brazil, New Zealand, and India. Table grapes continue to be harvested and exported to Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Mexico, Costa Rica, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Some vineyards continue to have the leaves thinned to allow for better airflow, light, and to aid in harvesting. Some table grape vineyards, rows are being covered to protect grapes from rain. Kiwis continue to be thinned. Persimmons continue to develop some color in early varieties.

    Citrus, Avocados, And Olives:

    Valencia oranges are being harvested in very limited amounts, and being packed for domestic markets. They are being exported to Mexico, El Salvador, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, China, and Singapore. Gassing of Valencia oranges continues in order to counter re-greening. Some citrus groves are being pruned, hedge rowed, and skirted. Citrus groves continue irrigating during high temperatures. Grapefruit are being exported to Singapore. Star Ruby grapefruit are being harvested and packed for the domestic market. Immature olives continue to develop. Limes are being harvested, but have yet to be exported. Finger limes are picked from coastal locations to be exported to China and the Netherlands.

    Vegetables, Melons, Herbs, Berries:

    Certified producers are growing cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, melons, peppers, eggplant, and Jalapeño peppers to sell at local Farmer’s Markets. Summer vegetables continue to be sold at roadside stands. Strawberry growers are taking old plantings out and preparing the ground for fall planting.

    Livestock And Poultry:

    Rangeland feed and water remains fair. Local cattle ranchers are supplemental feeding their livestock. The fed cattle price is at $110 per cwt.

    Additional Comments:

    Retail nursery shipments continue to be received from southern counties in California.

    By Tom Tucker, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/ Sealer

  • Tulare County Crop Report ( Week Ending: August 17, 2019)

    Small Grains, Other Field Crops:

    Cotton fields are in full bloom and bolls are filling. Alfalfa continues to be cut and baled with some fields on their third cutting. Corn for silage is being cut. Processed horse feed is being exported to Japan.

    Deciduous Tree Fruits, Nuts, And Grapes:

    Mature stone fruit continues to be harvested. Peaches are being exported to Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Taiwan, Canada, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, and Costa Rica. Nectarines are being exported to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Taiwan, Australia, Costa Rica, and the Philippines. Apricots are being exported to Canada. Plums are being exported to China, El Salvador, Taiwan, Mexico, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Guatemala, and Honduras. Harvesting of Asian Pears is accelerating. Asian Pears continue to be exported to Canada, Panama, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Kiwi fruits are being thinned and continue being exported to Mexico. Shelled pecans are being exported to New Zealand. Some Stone Fruit orchards are being pruned after harvest and some are being pushed out. Pistachios are being exported to Vietnam, Turkey, Thailand, France, Mexico, India, China, Norway, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, Israel, and Cyprus. The harvest season for Almond just started. Table grapes are continue to be harvested and exported to Australia, Guatemala, New Caledonia, Panama, New Zealand, Korea, and Vietnam. Some vineyards continue to have the leaves thinned to allow for better airflow and light. Pecan, Pistachio and Walnut nuts continue to develop.

    Citrus, Avocados, And Olives:

    Valencia Oranges are being harvested in very limited amounts and being packed mostly for domestic market but infrequent loads are being exported to Mexico, El Salvador, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, China, and Singapore. Gassing of Valencia oranges continues in order to counter the re-greening. Some citrus groves are being pruned, hedge rowed, and skirted. Citrus groves continue irrigating during high temperatures. Star Ruby Grapefruits are being harvested and packed for the domestic market. Immature olives continue to develop. Mature olive trees are being pushed up. Limes are being harvested.

    Vegetables, Melons, Herbs, Berries:

    Certified producers are growing Squash, Peppers, Eggplant, and Jalapeños to sell at local Farmers Markets. Summer vegetables continue to be sold at roadside stands. Blueberries are being exported to Vietnam.

    Livestock And Poultry:

    Rangeland feed and water remains fair. Local cattle ranchers are supplement feeding their livestock. The fed cattle price is at $111 per cwt.

    Additional Comments:

    Nursery stocks are being shipped to Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.

    Prepared by: Tom Tucker, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer

  • Tulare County Crop Report (For the week ending July 27, 2019)

    Small Grains, Other Field Crops:

    Corn for silage continues to mature. Black-eyed beans are sizing up, and the pods are beginning to dry. Cotton continues to be irrigated and cultivated. Alfalfa continues to be cut and baled.

    Deciduous Tree Fruits, Nuts, And Grapes:

    The stone fruit season continues on. Peaches are being exported to Brazil, Taiwan, Canada,Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, and Australia. Nectarines are being exported to Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Brazil, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Plums are being exported to China, Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. Hand-pruning and mechanical toppingcontinues to take place in some stone fruit orchards, after harvest. Immature stone fruit continuesto develop. Some older stone fruit groves are being removed after harvest. Grapes continue to mature and harvest has begun slowly, but will pick up next week. Grapes are being exported to Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand. Some vineyards continue to have leaves thinned to allow for better airflow and light. This year’s almond, pecan, walnut, and pistachio nuts continue to develop. Pistachios are being exported to Vietnam, India, Spain, and Hong Kong. Almonds are being exported Vietnam, Germany, Finland, Jordan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico, Indonesia, Colombia, and Argentina. Persimmons continue to develop. Irrigation continues for orchards and vineyards.

     

    Citrus, Avocados, And Olives:

    Valencia and navel oranges continue to be harvested. Late navel harvest is nearing the end, with oranges mainly being sent to juice from the field. Gassing of Valencia oranges to improve color continues. Valencia oranges are mainly being sent to domestic markets but they continue to be exported in small amounts to Mexico and Hong Kong. Ruby grapefruit and Finger limes are being exported to Mexico. Some citrus groves are being pruned and hedge rowed. Immature olives continue to develop.

     

    Vegetables, Melons, Herbs, Berries:

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumber, watermelon, and squash. Summer vegetables continue to be sold at roadside stands and Farmer’s Markets. Blueberries are being picked and sold by local growers.

     

    Livestock And Poultry:

    Rangeland forage is of fair-good quality. The fed cattle price is at $112 per cwt.

    Additional Comments:

    Local wholesale nurseries are still shipping small orders of nursery stock to local and out-of-state retail nursery outlets. Nurseries continue to receive various flowers and plants daily. Bare-rootrose shipments continue to be sent to Florida.