US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit the Central Valley this weekend meeting with farm leaders. Topics of discussion include already booming ag exports and ideas on water which is in short supply.Local leaders have been invited to meet with Vilsack (pictured right). On Sunday, Nov. 17, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Congressman Mike Thompson will hold a press availability to discuss record agriculture exports.American agriculture achieved record exports once again in Fiscal Year 2013, and the period 2009-2013 stands as the strongest five-year period for agricultural exports in our nation’s history.
Secretary Vilsack will also discuss the need for Congress to pass a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill to support a strong U.S. agriculture sector and continue the trade promotion programs that helped American agriculture achieve these results. These trade promotion efforts return $35 in economic benefits for every dollar invested.
Exeter: Wilbur-Ellis Co announced this week that it has signed a letter of intent to purchase the assets of Orange Belt Supply. OBS is a retail agriculture provider located in Exeter and has been in operation since 1921 servicing growers in central California, including many citrus growers. Started as a co-op, Orange Belt Supply once had locations in Exeter,Woodlake and Lindsay. Today the ag supply business has one location sited between Exeter and Lindsay. Wilbur-Ellis’ Agribusiness Division generates more than $2 billion in sales revenue.
While booming export demand is helping dairy farmers this fall it has been tough going for the past year. In the last twelve months, Visalia-based California Dairies Inc has lost 35 dairies that were producing a combined 2.5 million lbs. of milk per day said Dr Eric Erba of CDI in testimony before the CDFA recently.