The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has declared a quarantine in Ventura County following the detection of the citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in two citrus trees on one residential property in the city of Santa Paula. These detections are the first HLB-positive trees in Ventura County. CDFA is working with the United States Department of …

A Hmong small-scale farmer in Merced County has saved about 14.4 acre-inches of water annually and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 12.406 MTCO2e per year (equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions produced from burning 1,396 gallons of gasoline) after upgrading her farm. Rosie Lee – who sells Asian greens, green beans, corn, strawberries and other produce at her farm stand …

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) official walnut industry crop estimate provides the California walnut industry with crucial information to support an orderly sales process. Using scientific methodologies, USDA field staff counted, measured, weighed and evaluated thousands of walnuts from major growing regions in July and August for use in a statistical acreage model to establish the annual walnut crop estimate. …

What a difference a year makes! The California walnut industry is gearing up for a stellar 2023 harvest and shipping season after several years of drought, record low grower returns, COVID disrupted markets with supply chain challenges and a devastating heat wave in September 2022 that negatively impacted the entire crop. Here’s why this season is lining up to be …

Announced by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division (CPDPD), the CDFA’s Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) quarantine program now requires all harvesters/farm labor contractors (FLCs) – referring to any person/establishment who employs people to perform work related to grove management and/or harvesting commercial citrus fruit – to have a valid compliance agreement to …

CDFA is joining the USDA in declaring April 2023 Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month . This national outreach month is dedicated to highlighting the impact of invasive plant pests and diseases on plants nationwide. The focus is on raising public awareness about the threat and how residents can help. Each year, invasive insects and plant diseases cause an estimated $40 …

As California weathers the twelfth atmospheric river since late December, the state’s all-of-government emergency response (including CDFA) continues to deploy personnel and resources to protect communities and support recovery efforts across the state. “We’re continuing to mobilize an all-hands-on-deck response to protect Californians during this latest round of devastating storms,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “With communities from San Diego to …

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 …

To ensure California citrus growers are well prepared in the event of a potential commercial grove detection of Huanglongbing (HLB), the deadly citrus plant disease that can be spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) has developed a response guide for growers to utilize and educate themselves on the California Department of Food and …