14 CapitalPress.com
May 19, 2017
California
Revised state budget impacts ag, Almond producers expect record crop
sparks talks at California Capitol
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By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
SACRAMENTO — Joel
Nelsen hustled from meeting
to meeting on May 16 trying
to coax state leaders to pay
more attention to a tree dis-
ease that could devastate Cal-
ifornia’s citrus industry.
Nelsen, the president of
California Citrus Mutual,
urged lawmakers and officials
from the state Department of
Finance to boost the $4.4 mil-
lion designated for a pest and
disease prevention program in
Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised
budget proposal.
Citrus industry leaders
want money specifically set
aside to halt the spread of the
Asian citrus psyllid and huan-
glongbing, which has killed
54 residential citrus trees in
Southern California but not
yet migrated to commercial
groves.
“We would like to see
some additional dollars in the
general fund allocated to the
(state Department of Food
and Agriculture) for regulato-
ry enforcement,” Nelsen told
the Capital Press as he shut-
tled to his next meeting at the
Capitol.
Nelsen’s efforts come as
budget negotiations at the
Capitol kicked into high gear
after Brown presented his
$124 billion revised ledger on
May 11. The Democrat-con-
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
Student Colton DeBerry separates goats in a pen on the farm
at Shasta College in Redding, Calif., earlier this year. Gov. Jerry
Brown’s revised budget proposal would increase community col-
lege funding by $160 million but cut $15 million in FFA funding.
trolled Legislature must ap-
prove a 2017-18 budget by
June 15.
The revision leaves intact
Brown’s proposal to provide
$284.4 million to the CDFA, up
from its $253.9 million in the
current budget, and add nearly
300 new positions for a total
of 1,752.1 full-time-equivalent
positions, agency spokesman
Steve Lyle said.
Including federal funds and
fee programs, CDFA’s over-
all budget would be $411.5
million. That’s down slightly
from the $414 million allocat-
ed to the agency in the 2016-
17 ledger.
The governor’s proposal
would include nearly $22.4
million in new spending to
regulate cannabis produc-
tion, which voters legalized
for non-medical uses in No-
vember, and about $2 million
apiece to implement the Pro-
duce Safety Rule and new an-
tibiotic controls.
The governor also wants
to boost community college
funding by $160 million to,
among other goals, improve
students’ employment oppor-
tunities.
However, part of that would
come at the expense of FFA
and high school career-tech-
nical programs, which would
lose $15 million.
Jim Aschwanden, the Cal-
ifornia Agricultural Teachers’
Association’s executive direc-
tor, said in a statement he was
“extremely disappointed” by
the proposal.
SACRAMENTO — Al-
mond producers in Califor-
nia expect to reap another
record harvest this summer
despite stormy weather in
February that complicated
the bloom.
Almond production is es-
timated to weigh in at 2.2 bil-
lion pounds — a 2.8 percent
increase from last year’s re-
cord 2.14 billion pound crop,
according to the National Ag-
ricultural Statistics Service
office in Sacramento.
Nut set has been good
throughout the state even
after winter storms and cold
weather extended the bloom,
as significant rains caused
some bee boxes to rest in
standing water and made
spray applications more dif-
ficult, industry officials re-
port.
Richard Waycott, presi-
dent and chief executive of-
ficer of the Almond Board of
California, said he’s “always
amazed” by nature.
“The conditions aren’t
right, but somehow the pol-
lination gets done,” he said.
“Even in the northern part of
the state, crops are looking
good from what I’ve heard.”
The return to record pro-
duction is fueled by new
plantings that are continu-
ing to come on line. Bearing
acreage is expected to reach
the 1 million mark this year,
up from 940,000 acres in
2016, according to NASS.
The continued growth
comes as the industry is
still rebounding from a
price slide that began in late
2015, as prices fell by nearly
half from the more than $4
a pound that was paid for
some almonds during the
2014 crop year.
However, almond produc-
tion has remained profitable
despite the slide, University
of California Cooperative
Extension adviser Roger
Duncan has said.
Prices stabilized around
the middle of last year, while
almonds’ status as the low-
est-priced tree nuts helped
boost demand, Waycott said.
The California industry has
shipped 2.13 billion pounds
from the 2016-17 crop year,
so “shipments are very much
in line with the crop size,”
he said.
“I think we’ll probably be
in a very good, stable supply
situation for the next crop,”
he said. “I would think we
would see increased demand
around the world.”
In anticipation of a 25
percent increase in produc-
tion over the next three years
as all the new trees begin
bearing nuts, the Almond
Board received the USDA’s
permission to raise its grow-
er assessment from 3 cents
to 4 cents per pound, which
will enable the board to
boost its marketing efforts.
Better feed conditions drive higher ram prices at sale
PORTERVILLE, Calif. —
The market for rams is appar-
ently becoming more brisk as a
recent sale netted a significant-
ly higher average winning bid
than last year.
The 447 range rams offered
at auction at the California Ram
Sale in April averaged $832
a head compared to $668 in
2016, according to organizers.
The 275 head of Suffolk
rams that were sold averaged
$875 per animal, while 146
crossbred rams averaged $747
a head. The top bid of $6,750
netted a trio of speck-faced
composite rams.
California Wool Growers
Association president Ryan In-
dart cited much improved feed
conditions as one of the drivers
of the higher prices.
Among the sale’s honorees,
long-time consigners John and
Anita Phillips of Paul, Idaho,
were given the Best Overall
Consignment Award, and Jim
Neumiller of Healdsburg, Ca-
lif., was among sale consigners
bringing rams with the largest
loin eye measurements, ac-
cording to a news release.
For information on the sale
and the CWGA, visit http://
cawoolgrowers.org/ .
IDAHO FFA FOUNDATION
AWARDS OVER $50,000 IN
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2017
Through support from generous donors, the Idaho FFA Foundation awarded $43,000 in
college scholarships, and $6,400 in Washington Leadership Conference Scholarships at
the 2017 Idaho State FFA Leadership Conference in Twin Falls on April 7.
An additional $2,000 was awarded later in April through special Idaho FFA Foundation
endowments. Congratulations to the 2017 Idaho FFA Foundation scholarship recipients!
$2,000 J.A. Wedum
Foundation Scholarships:
Sydney Anderson, Nampa FFA
Ashlyn Schiers, Meridian FFA
$1,500 United Dairymen
of Idaho Scholarships:
Garrett Barnes, Middleton FFA
Jennifer Bautista Ramirez, Homedale FFA
Kathryne Day, Jerome FFA
Dustin Winston, Middleton FFA
$1,000 Idaho Grower Shipper
Association Scholarships:
Ross Blattner, Kuna FFA
Gretchen Hansten, Jerome FFA
Riley Haun, Homedale FFA
Abigail Johnston, Rigby FFA
Bret Kindall, Cambridge FFA
Valery Kindall, Cambridge FFA
ReAnn Mahler, Fruitland FFA
Sadie Simpson, Malad FFA
Hannah Smith, Meridian FFA
Emily Trees, Genesee FFA
$1,000 Betaseed Scholarships:
Wyatt Neal, Parma FFA
Mason Roberts, Kuna FFA
$1,000 Integrated
Biological Systems Inc. Scholarship:
Jessica Kohntopp, Meridian FFA
$2,000 Tractor Raffle
Agricultural Education Scholarships:
Kjersti Clawson, Genesee FFA
Randy Clements, Madison FFA
$1,000 Tractor Raffle Scholarships:
Robert Allison, Middleton FFA
Danielle Church, Fruitland FFA
RaAnna Dahle, Fruitland FFA
Shyla Flavel, Kuna FFA
Jimmie Gilder, Troy FFA
Katelynn Hall, Emmett FFA
Jacee Lancaster, Hagerman FFA
Alysha O’Connell, Genesee FFA
Alexa Phillips, Meridian FFA
Maren Roberts, Preston FFA
Carson Schumann, Raft River FFA
Megan Smith, Melba FFA
Maddie Stapleton, Nezperce FFA
Danielle Van Lith, Ridgevue FFA
Cherie BreAnn Weeks, Malad FFA
Afton Winn, Preston FFA
2017 Idaho FFA Dwaine Tesnohlidek Washington Leadership Conference
Scholarship recipients are, left to right, Alyssa Hansten, Jerome FFA, and
Logan Stansell, Marsing FFA. The scholarships were presented by Ellie
Tesnohlidek and Katie Mosman, granddaughters of Dwaine Tesnohlidek.
$1,000 Wayne & Blanche Kuhlman
Kuna FFA Scholarship:
Jacob Rowland, Kuna FFA
$1,000 Don & Mary Johnson
Kuna FFA Scholarship:
Taylor Stephenson, Kuna FFA
To learn more about participating
in the 2018 Idaho FFA Foundation
Scholarship Program, please
contact Laura Wilder,
Executive Director at
lwilder@idffafoundation.org
Megan Smith, Melba
FFA, is one of 18 2017
Idaho FFA Tractor Raffle
Scholarship recipients.
$1,600 Dwaine Tesnohlidek
Washington Leadership
Conference Scholarships:
Alyssa Hansten, Jerome FFA
Logan Stansell, Marsing FFA
2017 Idaho FFA J.A. Wedum Foundation
Scholarship recipients are, left to right,
Sydney Anderson, Nampa FFA, and
Ashlyn Schiers, Meridian FFA.
$1,600 Sara Braasch Schmidt
Washington Leadership
Conference Scholarships:
Harrison Jansen van Beek, Middleton FFA
Savannah Stroebel, Kuna FFA
2017 Idaho FFA Sara Braasch Schmidt
Washington Leadership Conference
Scholarship recipients are, left to right,
Savannah Stroebel, Kuna FFA, and
Harrison Jansen van Beek, Middleton FFA.
Katie Hall, Emmett FFA,
is one of 18 2017 Idaho
FFA Tractor Raffle
Scholarship recipients.
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