California Ag Network

Tag: agricultural economics

  • Livestock Losses and Wolf Deterrence Efforts Cost Californians Millions

    Nearly a decade after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the state’s first wolf pack, the rural community in Sierra Valley faced unprecedented challenges when the Beyem Seyo wolf pack began to regularly attack and kill domestic livestock. Despite extensive efforts at non-lethal deterrence, the pack became so dependent on cattle as a food source that several members of the pack were ultimately euthanized in October 2025. A new study by UC Cooperative Extensionanalyzed the costs associated with these wolf attacks and found that, when combining the costs of livestock losses and interventions aimed at deterring further depredations (the injuring or killing of livestock by wolves), the economic toll over seven months reached at least $2.6 million.

    The gray wolf, a species protected under both federal and state Endangered Species Acts, was first introduced into Idaho and Yellowstone in the mid 1990s. After a century-long absence, the first wolf was documented migrating into California in 2011, and the first pack was confirmed in the state in 2015. By the end of 2024, at least 50 individual wolves had been confirmed in California. While some saw this as a conservation success story, ranchers in Sierra Valley experienced the downside of this resurgence when the Beyem Seyo pack began preying on local cattle in March 2025.

    By summer, the pack was found near residences during daylight hours and had become dependent on cattle as its main source of food. To reduce the harm this pack was causing to the community, CDFW deployed what they called the Summer Strike Team – a group of biologists, wardens, and CDFW staff – whose goal was non-lethal hazing and deterrence of wolf-related livestock attacks. Yet despite spending 18,000 staff hours over 114 days, the attacks continued to increase, and by October 2025, 92 cows and calves had been injured or killed by the pack. As a result, four members of the pack were ultimately euthanized.

    To better understand the economic impact of this livestock depredation, UC Davis professor of Cooperative Extension Tina Saitone and UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor Tracy Schohr analyzed the direct costs associated with the attacks.

    First, they looked at the direct costs of cattle losses between March 7 and Oct. 10, 2025, that either the CDFW or the U.S. Department of Agriculture verified as ‘confirmed’ or ‘probable’ wolf depredations; only these verified kills were eligible for rancher compensation under the state’s Wolf Compensation Program. Using the fair market value for these ‘confirmed or probable’ kills, the authors estimated $234,735 in losses to Sierra Valley ranchers.

    Saitone said, “Beyond direct predation, wolves impose additional costs. Cattle exposed to wolves show increased vigilance and avoidance behaviors that reduce weight gain and conception rates while increasing disease vulnerability. Producers face higher expenses from intensified monitoring, fence repairs, non-lethal deterrents, and depredation investigations.”

    Further, when the authors considered missing or unconfirmed cattle losses, the total wolf-related depredation losses ranged from between $533,688 to $1.7 million, depending on methodology. When these costs are added to the cost of agency interventions (e.g., the efforts of the Summer Strike Team), which totaled more than $2 million, this single wolf pack was responsible for damages of at least $2.6 million in 2025. This research underscores the importance of wildlife agency resources and funding of comprehensive livestock loss compensation programs.

    To learn more about the economic impacts of the Beyem Seyo wolf pack on California, read the full article by Tina L. Saitone and Tracy K. Schohr: “The Beyem Seyo Wolf Pack: Economic Toll of Unprecedented Livestock Conflict in California.” ARE Update 29(2): 1–5. UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, online at https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1767890615/21559/

    ARE Update is a bimonthly magazine published by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics to educate policymakers and agribusiness professionals about new research or analysis of important topics in agricultural and resource economics. Articles are written by Giannini Foundation members, including University of California faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists in agricultural and resource economics, and university graduate students. Learn more about the Giannini Foundation and its publications at https://giannini.ucop.edu/. -By Ria DeBiase, Communications Director, Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, Ag & Resource Econ at UC Davis

  • USDA Announces Dr. Justin Benavidez as Chief Economist

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today congratulated Dr. Seth Meyer for his years of service to our country and announced Dr. Justin Benavidez as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Chief Economist.

    “Seth Meyer has been a trusted and steady leader at USDA, providing rigorous, objective economic analysis that has helped guide USDA and America’s farmers and ranchers’ insights into complex commodity markets. I am grateful for his years of service and the lasting contributions he has made to American agriculture,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “As we thank Seth for his leadership, I am pleased to welcome Justin Benavidez to USDA as our new Chief Economist. Justin brings strong policy experience, deep roots in production agriculture, and a clear understanding of the economic realities facing farmers and ranchers. I look forward to working with him as we continue to put Farmers First and ensure USDA’s work is guided by sound, data-driven analysis.”

    Retirement of Seth Meyer from USDA

    Seth Meyer has served as USDA Chief Economist since 2021, providing rigorous economic analysis and objective market insight to support USDA leadership, policymakers, producers, and stakeholders across the agricultural economy. During his tenure, Dr. Meyer oversaw USDA’s economic forecasting and analysis, including leadership of the World Agricultural Outlook Board and the widely followed World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report.

    Prior to and during his time at USDA, Dr. Meyer brought decades of experience in agricultural economics, global trade analysis, and policy evaluation. His leadership helped guide USDA through periods of market volatility, global supply chain disruption, and evolving policy priorities.

    Appointment of Justin Benavidez to USDA

    Justin Benavidez has been appointed to serve as USDA Chief Economist. Dr. Benavidez previously served as Chief Economist for the Majority Staff of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, where he provided economic analysis on farm bill policy, commodity markets, and agricultural legislation. Before his service on Capitol Hill, Dr. Benavidez worked as an agricultural economist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, focusing on farm and ranch management, production economics, and policy analysis. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.

    As USDA Chief Economist, Dr. Benavidez will lead the Department’s economic analysis and forecasting efforts, ensuring USDA’s policies and programs continue to be informed by sound, data-driven economic research that supports America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

    About the Office of the Chief Economist

    The Office of the Chief Economist provides independent economic analysis to inform USDA decision-making, including market outlooks, policy evaluation, and global agricultural assessments that support U.S. agriculture and food systems.

  • UC Releases Costs of Growing Cilantro, Parsley

    For commercial growers considering planting cilantro or parsley, the costs and returns of producing in Ventura County are outlined in a new study by the University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Institute, and UC Davis Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics.

    “These studies provide growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help if they need to apply for production loans, project labor costs or market their crop” said Etaferahu Takele, UC Cooperative Extension farm management advisor and agricultural economist and study co-author.

    The UC Cooperative Extension cost and return estimates are based on cilantro and parsley grown in Ventura County. Each study describes the cultural practices used for establishing, producing and harvesting the herbs, including land preparation, soil fertility and pest management, irrigation and labor needs.   

    Ventura County produces a diverse mix of vegetables and herb crops. Lately, the acreage in cilantro production has been increasing. Between 2002 and 2022, the cilantro acreage almost quadrupled from 1,257 acres to 4,065 acres, reflecting increases in demand for the herb often used in Latin American and Asian recipes.

    The total cost to produce cilantro in 2025, using a yield of 1,200 cartons per acre, is approximately $7,316 per acre. Sold for $9 per carton, profit for cilantro before paying management is estimated at $3,480 per acre.

    The total cost to produce parsley in 2025, using a yield of 2,200 cartons per acre, is approximately $14,759 per acre. Using a price received of $8.60 per carton, profit for parsley before paying management, is estimated at $4,713 per acre.

    The researchers based their studies on an 800-acre farm, which was the average farm size of the growers they interviewed. Double cropping is common in Ventura County so the total land farmed for this sample is about 1,600 acres per year. Because growers produce multiple crops each year, planting and harvesting vegetable crops are year-round activities.

    “Cilantro Production Costs and Profitability Analysis” and “Parsley Production Costs and Profitability Analysis” can be downloaded for free from the UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County website: https://ucanr.edu/county/cooperative-extension-ventura-county/vegetable.

    Government agencies such as the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture can use the information when developing and implementing agricultural policies and programs.

    The cost estimate studies were coauthored by Oleg Daugovish, UC Cooperative Extension strawberry and vegetable crop advisor in Ventura County; and Karen Jetter, research economist and associate director; Donald Stewart, staff research associate; and Fiona Ogunkoya, survey researcher, all of the UC ANR Policy Institute.

    For more information about cost studies, contact Takele at ettakele@ucanr.edu.

    These studies were funded by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Thelma Hansen Trust. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR

  • California Walnut & Ag Industry Leader Jonathan Field Passes

    California’s agriculture industry is mourning the loss of Jonathan W. Field who served as Manager of the California Tree Fruit Agreement for over a decade, led the Walnut Bargaining Association and served as the Compliance Officer for the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements and the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board.

    Field, 77, of Lincoln, California, passed away peacefully August 5, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

    Field’s passion for agriculture began at age six when he received his first sheep on Christmas morning. A lifelong 4-H member, he spent nine months in Kenya, Africa with the 4-H and Peace Corps, teaching crop rotation and agricultural best practices. He always maintained his own sheep and cattle, fulfilling his lifelong dream of farming.

    He attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where he earned an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business and then a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from University of California, Davis.

    Field’s professional journey as part of California’s agricultural industry was as expansive as it was impactful. He began his career with California Agricultural Statistics Service and then as an economist for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) where he worked on programs for iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, cling peaches and processing pears. While at CDFA, Field wrote the first Marketing Agreement program and was the economist assigned to the first Commission laws created in California.

    In 1981, Field became Assistant Manager for the California Tree Fruit Agreement (CTFA), a conglomerate of marketing order programs representing California-grown peaches, plums, nectarines and pears. He became Manager in 1987, serving until 2000 where he championed growers, strengthened industry standards and left a lasting mark on California’s tree fruit sector. Importantly, he was integrally involved in the litigation which went successfully to the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the legality of mandatory commodity programs.

    “During the 1990s, the California Tree Fruit Agreement was extremely fortunate to have Jonathan Field as its Manager,” said Melvin Enns, a tree fruit grower-shipper who served on the CTFA Board for many years.  “Jon was well-versed in the intricacies of government regulations. He formed a diverse team of experts in the areas of merchandising, export development, communications and grower relations to create programs that complied with these directives. And, together with the 1500+ growers of California peaches, pears, plums, and nectarines, Jonathan and his team built a federal and state marketing order that was the envy of tree fruit growers in every other state.”

    Not only did Field leave a lasting impression on the California fruit industry, but he championed several causes impacting California agriculture in general. Working with a group of marketing order and commission managers (who are now retired) including:  Bruce Obbink, California Table Grape Commission; Dennis Balant, California Walnut Board; Rich Peterson, California Prune Board; Terry Stark, California Raisin Advisory Board, and Dave Riggs, California Strawberry Commission, Field was instrumental in founding the Alliance for Food and Farming, the Agricultural Issues Forum, the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance, the California Specialty Crop Council and the Buy California Marketing Agreement, or “California Grown”.

    After leaving CTFA, Field formed Paradigm Consulting Company where he worked for several organizations including as Executive Director of the Walnut Bargaining Association, a cooperative of California walnut growers.

    “Jon Field was a true representative for our industry,” said Donald Norene, Chairman of the Walnut Bargaining Association (now known as the Walnut Alliance of California.). “He was committed to empowering walnut growers with the financial information necessary to successfully negotiate a fair return for their walnut crop and his analysis was highly regarded by bankers, growers and handlers.”

    In 2007, Field began working as the first Compliance Officer for the newly formed California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) and its sister organization the Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement to help ensure leafy greens growers are following stringent food safety practices. In 2012, he began performing these same functions as the Compliance Officer for the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board. Field finally retired in 2023.

    “I had known Jon for many years prior to bringing him on at the LGMA as our very first Compliance Officer,” said Scott Horsfall, former president and CEO of the California LGMA. “He was the perfect person for this role with his strong background in working with CDFA, his knowledge of marketing orders and agreements and his strong desire to help the agricultural industry through challenges. He will be missed.”

    Jon is survived by his wife, Christine, of 52 years; and children Erin, Jonathan and Heather; seven grandchildren, sister, Shirley and many nieces, nephews and cousins.  The family will provide more information about a Celebration of Life at a later date.