Farmworker Overtime Bill Fails
Legislation to give farmworkers in California overtime pay beginning in 2017 was rejected recently by the California Assembly much to the relief of many Valley farmers. Tulare County Farm Bureau Facebook page offered “Excellent news … AB 2757 was defeated! A victory for farm workers and farmers.” The UFW supported the proposal arguing AB 2757 was needed since it would gradually move toward paying California farm workers overtime if they labor more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week by the year 2020. “We’ve had two previous efforts to enact an eight-hour overtime law in California” says the union after news fo the defeat.
Farm leader Manuel Cunha said farmworkers would have earned less if the bill had passed as it was many farmworkers are leaving California. “We are going to be in real trouble this summer when the raisin crop comes in” due to lack of labor. After Donald Trump’s Fresno visit last week Cunha urged the GOP candidate “not to deport workers vital to agriculture.”
Cherry Crop Hit By Rains
This year’s cherry crop was affected by the weather says a trade association. Rain storms caused cracking on cherries. Trade press reports that California growers will likely ship about 4.7 million boxes of cherries this spring, down from a pre-season estimate of 8.1 million boxes, Chris Zanobini, executive director of the Sacramento-based California Cherry Board, said May 25.
Milk Futures Rise
As four more dairies close their doors in Tulare County in May some glimmer of hope for milk price futures-rising prices for a change. Tulare County dairymen Tom Barcellos told the press the other day “Milk prices weren’t great last year but at around $16 a hundredweight, dairymen could cover things with some carryover feed inventory. But milk prices now running below $13 per hundredweight don’t cover the bills.” Futures prices for this fall had dropped to $13 in recent weeks after heading lower most of 2016 but have climbed out of the cellar in the past week to $15 a hundredweight. Still a ways to go before there is real relief.
Kern Russet Potato No More
Russet potatoes from Kern County,famous because they sustained the ‘Okies’ back in the Depression era used to be a 8000 acre crop here but today. For the first time, there are none planted say growers.Instead Kern’s farmers are planting those small red ,gold an white varieties that have caught on with shoppers, about 5000 acres overall. Russets can be grown more cheaply in the northwest where they are stored underground.
Mexico/China Need US Ethanol
Mexico could be the next big ethanol fuel market as that country seeks to transition to a cleaner burning octane enhancer and low carbon fuel and away from MTBE. USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse led a U.S. ethanol mission to Mexico on May 24–25 to explore trade opportunities between the two countries.
The mission participants include representatives from the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council who will attend meetings with government officials, legislators and the Mexican private industry.
As USDA explained, mission members will share their experiences with both ethanol production and the development of renewable fuels policies, with the goal of demonstrating how Mexico can implement its own renewable fuels program.
State-owned oil company PEMEX has plans to begin selling E6 (5.8 percent) ethanol-blended gasoline in selected cities in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, and Veracruz. Implementation of a nationwide E6 fuel option in Mexico would create a potential market for 790 million gallons of ethanol.
“Mexico, with the right policies in place, has the potential to achieve similar benefits producing ethanol from sugarcane,” Scuse said in a statement. “We view this as a partnership that can provide benefits for both Mexico and the United States.”
“The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of ethanol and for several years now has been the low cost supplier as well, allowing us to dramatically increase our exports. With domestic use artificially capped by EPA at 14.8 billion gallons, we will continue to seek export opportunities,” said Renewable Fuels Association General Counsel Ed Hubbard, who is on the trade mission.
Also this month looking to help clean their air China is importing more US made ethanol.Through the first three months of 2016 China imported 75.2 million gallons of ethanol from the United States- than the 70.5 million gallons China imported from the US for all of 2015.
California Tomato Processors Expect 13 Million Tons in 2016
CDFA reports that California tomato processors have signed contracts adding up to 13 million tons this year. That is 9.1% less than last year Acreage is down to 260,000 from 297,000 last year. Kings County contracted acreage is up from 26,500 to 28,100 in 2016. Fresno County acreage is down by nearly 9000 acres.
Nurseries Sell 18,021 Acres Of Walnut Trees – Prices Down
California walnut nurseries sold over 18,000 acres worth of walnut trees in 2015- almost double want they sold back in2011. Most of the trees were the Chandler variety. California walnut acreage in 2015 was 365,000 acres, up 12 percent from 2012. Tulare County walnut acres are 27,900 of which 2652 are recently planted non-bearing trees. In the past year walnut prices have plummeted by up to 50% cutting grower returns from well over $3000 a ton seen in the past few years.