California Ag Network

Tag: California Citrus Mutual

  • California Citrus Mutual Appoints Casey Creamer as President/CEO

    CCM appoints current Executive Vice President and veteran agriculture industry representative.  Current President, Joel Nelsen to step down after 37 years at the helm and assume new role within the organization.

    Joel Nelsen Steps Down After 37 Years of Dedicated Service as President of the California Citrus Mutual

    The California Citrus Mutual (CCM) Board of Directors has named current Executive Vice President Casey Creamer as its new President and CEO effective February 1st.  Creamer came to CCM last February after a national search process to eventually assume the role of President.  He succeeds Joel Nelsen, who has guided CCM for the last 37 years.

    “The citrus industry is very fortunate to have had an individual of Joel’s caliber the last 37 years.  That kind of loyalty is not only rare, it’s unheard of,” stated Board Chairman Curt Holmes.  “Joel has taken a relatively small industry and has given us a huge voice.  We’ve faced many challenges over the years and have addressed them head on with his energy and passion leading the way.  We are incredibly grateful to him for his service and we appreciate his willingness to stay engaged in the industry.

    “We are also very excited to have Casey on board as our new President and CEO,” continued Holmes.  “The Board conducted an extensive search process and interviewed viable candidates from across the country.  We ultimately found the right person in our own backyard.  His prior experience working for a sister commodity organization and his work representing growers on water issues made him an ideal selection.  Over the last year his knowledge of the citrus industry has greatly expanded and he has quickly become a valuable member of the CCM team on behalf of the industry.”

    “I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve,” stated Creamer.  “I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with some of the best leaders over my career and have nothing but respect and admiration for the job that Joel has done advancing issues important to the citrus industry.  I’m looking forward to carrying on the many successful traditions at CCM, while constantly seeking new ideas and pathways to address the significant challenges we face.  With the enthusiasm and commitment that exists in this industry, I am confident that together we tackle any obstacle thrown our way.”

    About CCM – CCM is the only advocacy organization representing CA citrus growers on the economic, regulatory, and political issues that impact them most. We are a voluntary, non-profit trade association dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of the CA citrus industry by advocating for sound, reasonable policy that allows for fair competition in the market place. Our 2,500 members represent 75% of California’s 320,000 acre, $3.8 billion citrus industry.

  • Huanglongbing Eradication Status in California Citrus

    To date, the deadly citrus greening disease Huanglongbing or HLB has not been found in California’s commercial citrus orchards; however, it’s only a matter of time. HLB strikes continue to be detected in residential areas, and its vector has spread all over the state. Watch this brief interview with Victoria Hornbaker, head of the CDFA’s statewide citrus program, as she shares the current status of the spread of HLB and its vector the Asian citrus psyllid, and CDFA’s eradication efforts. Read more about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine. Don’t currently receive California Fresh Fruit Magazine? Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-fresh-fruit-subscriptions/.

  • Citrus Crop Update with Central Valley Grower Arlen Miller

    Harvest of the 2018-2019 citrus crop is underway, and growers are excited to reap the fruits of their labors.  Watch this brief interview with third generation  Central Valley citrus grower Arlen Miller as he shares his perspective on the coming crop and read more about him and his many diverse varieties of citrus in the coming issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine.  Don’t receive California Fresh Fruit Magazine?  Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-fresh-fruit-subscriptions/.

  • NEW STUDY REVEALS CA CITRUS ECONOMIC IMPACT 

    Citrus Research Board Quantifies Industry Importance

        The total economic impact of California’s iconic citrus industry is $7.117 billion according to a new study commissioned by the Citrus Research Board (CRB).

    Bruce Babcock, UC Riverside

    “In updating our economic analysis, we selected a well-known expert, Bruce Babcock, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside, to conduct the research. His findings quantified the significant impact of citrus on California’s economic well-being,” said CRB President Gary Schulz.

    According to Babcock, the California citrus industry added $1.695 billion to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016. “California citrus is a major contributor to the economic value of the state’s agricultural sector and is much larger than just the value of its sales,” he said. “Estimated full-time equivalent California citrus jobs totaled 21,674 in 2016-17, and estimated wages paid by the industry during that same timeframe totaled $452 million.”

    Babcock added, “The application of management skills and capital equipment to efficiently utilize land and water to produce high-quality citrus also generates upstream and downstream jobs and income that magnify the importance of citrus production beyond its farm value.”

       In 2016-17, the most recent marketing year of data compilation, Babcock found that the total direct value of California citrus production was $3.389 billion. This value generated an additional $1.263 billion in economic activity from related businesses that supplied materials and services to the citrus industry. Layered on top was another $2.464 billion in economic activity generated by household spending income that they received from California’s industry, according to Babcock, thus rendering a total economic impact of $7.117 billion.

    The study revealed that 79 percent of California’s citrus was packed for the fresh market and 21 percent was processed in 2016-17, which is economically significant because fresh market fruit has a higher value than processed fruit.”

    Of further note, California produced about 95 percent of all U.S. mandarins in the most recent reporting season.

    Joel Nelsen, President of the California Citrus Mutual

    California Citrus Mutual President Joel Nelsen commented, “The “wow” factor in this report is something as it relates to gross revenues and positive impact for the state, people and local communities.  This enthusiasm must be tempered by the fact that huanglongbing (HLB) can destroy all this in a matter of a year if the partnerships that exist between the industry and government cannot thwart the spread of this insidious disease.  Just this week, coincidentally, Brazil authorities reported a 20% reduction in fruit volume.  Reading how that would affect our family farmers, employees and the state is sobering.”

    The CRB study also looked at the possible impact of a potential 20 percent reduction in California citrus acreage or yield or a combination of the two that could result from increased costs associated with meeting government regulations, combatting the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and warding off the invasion of HLB, a devastating disease that has decimated citrus production in many other growing regions such as Florida. Babcock calculated that such a reduction could cause a loss of 7,350 jobs and $127 million in associated employment income and could reduce California’s GDP by $501 million in direct, indirect and induced impacts. The CRB currently is devoting most of its resources to battling ACP and HLB to help ensure the sustainability of California citrus.

    Babcock is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association and has won numerous awards for his applied policy research. The economist received his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and his Masters and Bachelors degrees from the University of California, Davis.

    The CRB administers the California Citrus Research Program, the grower-funded and grower-directed program established in 1968 under the California Marketing Act as the mechanism enabling the State’s citrus producers to sponsor and support needed research. Read the full report on the “Economic Impact of California’s Citrus Industry” Here.

  • CA Citrus Mutual Works Aggressively to Protect Growers in the Industry

    With concerns over water rights and increasing regulations, growers’ voices need to be heard in Sacramento and Washington DC, and the California Citrus Mutual has an aggressive agenda this year to support the citrus industry. Watch this brief interview with Joel Nelsen to learn more and read about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine.

    Calagnet & YARA
    Special thanks to this video’s sponsor!

  • EPA Denies Petition to Cancel Chlorpyrifos Tolerances

    Exeter, Calif. – California Citrus Mutual was very pleased when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 29, 2017, that it would deny in full the administrative petition requesting that EPA revoke all tolerances and cancel all registrations for the insecticide chlorpyrifos.

    “We believe that sound science should prevail in the regulation of crop protection tools,” says CCM President Joel Nelsen.  Nelsen and members of the CCM Executive Committee met several times with EPA last year to convey the importance of chlorpyrifos in citrus production.  CCM, in conjunction with trade associations around the country, encouraged EPA to evaluate this product and all pesticides with transparent, science based studies.  “We believe this decision is a step in that direction,” said Nelsen.
    EPA was under court order to render a decision by March 31, 2017.  In a lawsuit brought by the petitioners to compel EPA to issue a final response to their petition, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had ordered EPA to rule on the petition by the end of this month.
    EPA will now focus its attention on updating and revising its human health assessment for chlorpyrifos under the standard procedures of the ongoing registration review process, scheduled for completion on October 1, 2022, in order to support future decision-making.
    EPA’s denial of the petition is supported by EPA’s own process, by statutory directives, and by established guidance for regulatory decision-making developed over four decades.  The regulatory process for assessing human health risks should be rigorous, science-based, and transparent.  The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA), and the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) demand no less and EPA’s denial of the petition is aligned with these basic foundations of the regulatory process.

    Citrus growers rely on this valuable crop protection tool to control serious pests, such as the Asian citrus psyllid, that spreads the deadly HLB or citrus greening disease.  Chlorpyrifos also has established international standards that allow growers access to important export markets.

    About CCM – CCM is the only advocacy organization representing CA citrus growers on the economic, regulatory, and political issues that impact them most. We are a voluntary, non-profit trade association dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of the CA citrus industry by advocating for sound, reasonable policy that allows for fair competition in the market place. Our 2,500 members represent 75% of California 270,000 acre, $3.3 billion citrus industry.