The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the details of additional assistance for dairy producers, including a second round of payments through the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program (PMVAP) and a new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The update to PMVAP and the new ODMAP will enable USDA to better support small- and medium-sized dairy operations who weathered …

Today, the state joined leaders from a diverse range of backgrounds to unveil a roadmap of ambitious goals and actions to accelerate California’s systemwide transition to sustainable pest management and eliminate prioritized high-risk pesticides by 2050 to better protect the health of our communities and environment, while supporting agriculture, food systems and community well-being. The Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap for …

– SPONSORED CONTENT – Worldwide growers face severe issues with the allocation of fumigants, reduced control from conventional nematicides, or bio and conventional-based nematicides that provide suppression or just don’t work. The damage done by nematodes to crops is devasting, leading to reduced uptake of nutrients, lower yields, or slower growth. The losses from nematodes exceed 10 billion USD annually. …

The Hass Avocado Board is now accepting applications for its yearlong Board Leadership Development program. The program includes customized training to help participants prepare to serve on the boards of avocado industry organizations such as HAB and the California Avocado Commission, among others. The deadline to complete the application is January 31. There are currently 12 open seats. The course includes: A …

Farmworkers are a crucial link in our food supply chain, a fact that came sharply into focus during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep these essential workers healthy, there is a need for more data on farmworkers’ health. A new study published by University of California scientists looks beyond work-related health concerns such as heat and pesticide exposure …

For the first time, under authority of Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act Amendment of 1935, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase up to $20 million of fresh mandarins and tangerines for distribution to food banks, schools and other non-conventional markets. USDA also announced that it will purchase up to $20 million in oranges and $10 million in …

The California Avocado Commission will host a grower field day at Pine Tree Ranch in Santa Paula on January 25, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. During the event, California avocado growers will have an opportunity to meet CAC’s new president, Jeff Oberman. In addition, Tim Spann of Spann Ag Research & Consulting and Ben Faber, UC Farm Advisor, …

California Citrus Mutual (CCM) and the Citrus Research Board (CRB) welcome more than $1 million in new federal funding for critical research programs that support the U.S. and California citrus industries. The 2023 Appropriations bill passed by Congress recently includes continued funding to help stop the deadly citrus plant disease Huanglonging (HLB) that has devastated citrus production in Florida and …

California producers and processors are invited to apply for funding up to $1 million for innovation initiatives to become more competitive in a second round of dairy business grant awards recently announced by the Pacific Coast Coalition’s Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII), hosted by California State University Fresno. The PCC-DBII will award funding to assist with innovative dairy product development, …

The California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) announced five California winners of Dairy Business Innovation Initiative grants by the Pacific Coast Coalition, the USDA-funded Initiative hosted by Fresno State University supporting dairy product, process and packaging innovation. The winners include Capstone Ranch/Wonder Cow (Madera County), Central Coast Creamery (San Luis Obispo County), Foggy Bottom Boys (Humboldt County), Schoch Family Farmstead (Monterey …