Rural farmers feeling the pain during pandemic [KRCR TV, Redding]
Industries around the world and across the country have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and agriculture is no exception. A recent survey by the California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF) showed lost markets and lost off-farm income related to the COVID-19 pandemic have proven doubly difficult for many California farmers and ranchers. … “Just as in the rest of society, the effects of the pandemic have reverberated throughout rural California,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said.
https://krcrtv.com/news/local/rural-farmers-feeling-the-pain-during-pandemic
Coronavirus: Homeless, farmworkers moved into Monterey County motels [Monterey County Herald]
… At the same time, 24 farmworkers who have tested positive for the coronavirus are also staying in motels under an initiative backed by the Grower Shipper Association, Malais reported, because their living situations don’t allow for proper isolation from others. Assistant County Administrative Officer Nick Chiulos said there is a lot of concern about the spread of the coronavirus in the farmworker community, especially as more farmworkers arrive to work in the area’s farm fields, and county epidemiologist Kristy Michie said it was likely there would be increased exposure in the farmworker community.
Opinion: If they’re ‘essential,’ they can’t be ‘illegal’ [New York Times]
… By the Department of Agriculture’s estimates, about half the country’s field hands — more than a million workers — are undocumented. Growers and labor contractors estimate that the real proportion is closer to 75 percent. Suddenly, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, these “illegal” workers have been deemed “essential” by the federal government. … It’s time to offer all essential workers a path to legalization. … The best way to guarantee food security in the future is to legalize the current workers in order to keep them here, and to offer a pathway to legalization as an incentive for new agricultural workers to come.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-essential-workers.html
California ranchers working to avoid beef shortage [KOVR TV, Sacramento]
California ranchers are trying to avoid a beef shortage, reassuring consumers there will be enough supply, but some grocery stores are already feeling the pain. … California ranchers are planning to get ahead of any beef problem before it becomes a long-term problem. Especially as more meat processing plants are shutting down due to COVID-19 concerns. But so far, no plants in California have shut down. There have only been a few slowdowns.
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/05/05/california-ranchers-avoid-beef-shortage/
A smart guide to the U.S. meat shortage [Wall Street Journal]
With meat shortages hitting burger chains like Wendy’s Co., what can shoppers expect at their grocery store’s meat counter? The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted production at U.S. meatpacking plants, leading to higher prices and scarcity for popular items like ground beef and chicken breasts in supermarket meat cases. Grocers, seeking to head off panic buying, have begun limiting purchases and say they are preparing for intermittent shortages through May if not longer. These shortages may intensify in the coming weeks given the lag between production at the slaughterhouses and distribution to stores.
Opinion: Prop 13 will hurt green energy [Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
I’m a proud 5th generation rice farmer. My family and I have invested heavily in environmentally friendly technology – because it’s the right thing to do for our state’s long-term future. So, if I told you powerful special interests want to punish farmers with higher property taxes for installing solar energy on my property, would you believe me? Given California’s global environmental leadership, I was shocked to learn that’s exactly what will happen if voters don’t defeat a flawed November 2020 statewide ballot measure that will destroy Proposition 13’s property tax protections for farmers and businesses.
Recently discovered in US, ‘murder hornets’ could pose threat to California agriculture, but unlikely [KXTV, Sacramento]
… Dr. Lynn Kimsey, entomologist at UC Davis, said the insect got it’s frightening name because they kill honey bees “by decapitating them.” … The San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation is keeping a close eye on the giant insect’s next move. “If this is something that gets established, it can wipe out hives,” says Farm Bureau Federation Executive Director Bruce Blodgett. … So, what are the chances the ‘Murder Hornet’ could establish colonies in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley? Very little, “because we do a lot of spraying,” Kimsey said.
