Food & Farm News
Real Audio» May 2, 2006 «
Need for immigration reform gains added notice
Because they knew ahead of time about immigration rallies planned for yesterday (Monday), California farmers did the best they could to minimize disruptions by altering harvest and packing schedules. Farmers say that because they're well aware of the important contributions that immigrant workers make in California, they favor a comprehensive immigration reform bill. A California Farm Bureau spokesman urged Congress to pass a bill that enhances border security and includes a guest worker program.
Grape-growing county works to prevent pest
It's Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Awareness Month in Napa County, and officials say recent inspections show that their program to prevent the pest is working. The sharpshooter is an insect that carries a fatal plant disease, and Napa County wants to keep the disease out of its vineyards. Inspectors say they found sharpshooter egg masses on two shipments of nursery plants from Southern California. They say the inspections prevented a sharpshooter infestation in Napa County.
Lettuce supplies may be tight for awhile
A supply gap may affect lettuce prices for the next few weeks. Harvest is ending in the Central Valley, but lettuce in the Salinas Valley has been slow to mature because of cool, rainy weather earlier this spring. Farm prices have risen sharply as a result. A box of two-dozen heads of iceberg lettuce, which sold for about $8 last week, sells for as much as $22 this week. Farmers are harvesting as much as they can, but can't keep up with demand.
Almond acreage continues to increase
The popularity of California almonds shows in the amount of new almond acreage being planted. A government report issued yesterday shows that farmers planted more than 34,000 acres of new almond trees last year ... the most since 1998. Total acreage rose to 680,000. Next month, forecasters will issue their first estimate of this year's crop. Farmers say they expect the crop to be reduced by inclement weather during the almond bloom.
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