Ag Alert Aug 11, 2021

Organic Continued from Page 3 production, Tencer added.

personnel qualifications and training that haven’t been completed, some- times due to a lack of training records or other paperwork discrepancies, she said. Inspectors also recorded some health and hygiene compliance issues related to improper handwashing or ac- cess to facilities. Most noncompliance issues relate to record keeping, which Phillips said is “easily correctable and is not really going to lead to a large food safety issue.” Noting the program’s motto is “to educate before we regulate,” she said the program offers “a lot” of education and outreach to ensure farmers under- stand how to comply with the produce safety rule.

“We want this culture of food safety to become ingrained” in California farms, she added. Jeremy Johnson, chairman of the Cal i fornia State Organic Program Advisory Committee, said it is work- ing with the state to ease the adminis- trative burden on organic farmers so that there’s less paperwork. He said the committee has also been providing rec- ommendations to the state on how it can best use excess funds from organic registration to support organic. It has narrowed priorities to equity, education and research. Houston Wi l son, di rector of the Un i ve r s i t y o f Ca l i f orn i a Organ i c

Agriculture Institute, formed in 2020, said “a huge gap” remains in research for organic. Though research is need- ed in every area of production, he said the institute’s highest priority is pro- viding more effective crop nutrition practices, followed by weed, pest and disease management. With creation of the institute, Wilson said, California organic farmers will now have an addi t iona l resource to maintain their lead in the nation “while at the same time contributing to the economic viability and envi- ronmental quality of agriculture in this state.” (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)

D e s p i t e i t s n ame , Ca l i f o r n i a Certified Organic Farmers in Santa Cruz certifies more than 4,000 organic producers throughout North America, including in Mexico, although the li- on’s share of its membership remains in California, where it certifies more than 2,000 farmers and nearly 1,000 processors and handers, according to CEO Kelly Damewood. CCOF’s goal , she said, is to reach 30% organic farmland in the state by 2030, “because we believe organic can really offer solutions for climate resil- ience, economic security and health equity.” As the leading organic state, California currently farms about 10% of i ts land organical ly, she noted. Less than 1% of the nation’s land is farmed organically. Since the start of the CDFA Produce Safety Program in 2017, more than 430 California farms have been inspect- ed, with less than 20% of them organ- ic, said program Supervisor Shelley Phi l l ips. Organic farms “general ly have a good understanding of food safety,” she said. About a third of those inspected have gotten clean records, she said, although two-thirds are not in full compliance. Some compliance issues relate to

Deadly citrus disease found in Oceanside A quarantine has been declared in northern San Diego County after a deadly citrus disease was detected in Oceanside.

threat to California’s $2 billion-plus citrus business. But, as of Friday, the disease hadn’t been confirmed in a commercial citrus grove in California. The quarantine covers 60 square miles around the detection site. Citrus fruit, trees and related plant material may not be transported out of the area except for commercially cleaned and packed fruit. The quarantine area is borderedon the

north by Vandergrift Boulevard at Camp Pendleton, on the south by Carlsbad Village Drive, on the east by Melrose Drive and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. CDFAsaid itwill survey a 250-me- ter radius around the detection site for any additional signs of the disease and the Asian citrus psyllid. A map of the quarantine area may be foundat https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus/ pests_diseases/hlb/regulation.html.

The California Department of Food and Agr icul ture repor ted that two residential citrus trees in Oceanside were found to be infected with huan- glongbing, or HLB, also known as cit- rus greening. The disease, carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, poses a mortal

Agricultural Market Review

Quotations are the latest available for the week ending August 6, 2021 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 95-97.50 118-119 116-120 Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 51.70 110.05 109.31 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales No Quote 201-286.46 248-283 Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock 9.25 (Tulare-Fresno) No Quote No Quote Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 63.45 81.31 82.33 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per cwt. trucked 8.08 7.98 8.17 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain 195-200 (P/S) 230-240 (P/S) 280 (G/P) Region 2, Sacramento Valley 170 (F) No Quote 240 (G) Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 210-255 (P/S) 250-255 (G/P) 290-300 (S) Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley No Quote No Quote 260-320 (G/P) Region 5, Southern California 255-280 (P) 225 (G) No Quote Region 6, Southeast Interior 150 (F/G) 210 (G/P) 210-230 (G) Oat Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Northern California, dairy No Quote No Quote No Quote Oats – U.S. No. 2 white, $ per cwt. Statewide, trucked price No Quote 215 (G) No Quote

Dry Beans – Grower FOB prices Baby Limas, $ per cwt, (sacked) Large Limas, $ per cwt. (sacked) Blackeye, $ per cwt. (sacked)

No Quote No Quote No Quote

Rice – Milled No. 1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt. Wheat – U.S. No. 2 or better, winter, $ per cwt. 13% protein, Los Angeles, trucked price

38-42

42-44

No Quote 14.25 Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35. 215 (G)

12 Ag Alert August 11, 2021