California Ag Commissioners Join 300+ Farm Groups Supporting Push for Farm Bill in 2024
ay, the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA) joined 303 other organizations representing farmers, livestock and specialty crop producers, lenders, and other essential stakeholders in agricultural communities across the United States to express their strong support for advancing a meaningful farm bill in 2024 that addresses worsening conditions in farm country. The groups emphasized the imperative for Congress to act before the year’s end to strengthen farm policy for America’s farmers.
CACASA President Juan Hidalgo underscored the association’s support for robust pest and disease management programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the importance of the nationwide pest and disease prevention and control network that combats harmful pests and diseases.
“We appreciate the good working relationships with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in protecting the health of U.S. agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases,” Hidalgo said. “It is of utmost urgency that a new Farm Bill includes robust support to carry out biological plant pest detection and surveillance activities that help prevent the introduction or spread of plant pests harmful to agriculture and the environment.”
California recently celebrated the successful eradication of all populations of invasive fruit flies in the state. The 2023 invasive fruit fly outbreak was unprecedented, marking the worst of its kind in CDFA’s 100-year history. The outbreak included first-ever quarantines for Tau (Zeugodacus tau) and Queensland (Bactrocera tryoni) fruit flies in the United States and Western Hemisphere. The infestations also included species such as Oriental (Bactrocera dorsalis), Mexican (Anastrepha ludens), and Mediterranean (Ceratitis capitata) fruit flies. With their successful eradication, quarantines have recently been lifted across Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Diego, Riverside, and Ventura Counties, freeing thousands of acres of commercial agriculture from restrictions.
“Our most recent collaborative efforts with the fruit fly outbreak showcase that the programs and network to combat invasive pests and diseases are effective and work to lift trade restrictions imposed by other countries for such infestations that can significantly impact production, yields, and farmers’ bottom lines,” said Lindsey Carter, CACASA Executive Vice President. “Robust pest and disease programs authorized in the Farm Bill are a ‘penny-wise’ investment and critical to our continued success in protecting U.S. agriculture,” Carter added.
CACASA is advocating for Congress to continue and improve biological programs such as those contained in the Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7721), which combat pests and diseases. The 2018 Farm Bill authorized $75 million each year for the PPA programs nationwide. The program has not seen significant additional investments since then.
Another effective pest prevention program includes the National Agriculture Detector Dog Team Program. APHIS trains dog teams for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspections under the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) program to conduct international inspections at our nation’s points of entry. Trained dogs and their handlers also work for State departments of agriculture (California, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, & territory of Guam), county agricultural commissioners and foreign agriculture ministries to conduct domestic inspections in warehouses, mail and package facilities to identify plant and agricultural materials inside packages, as well as other pest detection efforts. Considering the growing use of canine teams nationally and within territories of the U.S., CACASA is urging Congress to authorize a domestic National Agricultural Detector Dog Team Inspection Program in the Farm Bill with sufficient mandatory annual funding focusing on interior U.S. pest pathways and program efficiencies that includes training closer to the proximity where the dog teams and their handlers will ultimately be deployed.
About CACASA: Representing all of California’s 58 counties, County Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers of Weights and Measures have the roles of promoting and protecting the state’s food supply, agricultural trade, the environment, public health and safety, consumer confidence and a fair marketplace in California. Unique to California, County Commissioners and Sealers are appointed by their respective Boards of Supervisors and work cooperatively with California Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Pesticide Regulation, federal and other state agencies, and stakeholders to implement regulatory programs at the local level for applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.
Supporting state and federal efforts, Agricultural Commissioners certify agricultural shipments for export, prevent the introduction, spread and establishment of invasive agricultural pests, and protect human health and the environment from impacts of improper pesticide use. Sealers provide a “level playing field” for businesses and ensure that consumers are protected in the marketplace in the purchase of commodities being weighed, measured, or counted.