California Ag News

Tim Hammerich

News Reporter

Here is an overview of California ag news from around the state.

Sales of milk and dairy products to restaurants, schools and other institutions have declined rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving dairy farmers with excess milk supplies. Farmers are being asked to slow production, find alternative buyers and, in some cases, discard milk. The drop in demand comes at the "worst time," farmers say, as warmer spring weather encourages cows to produce more.

Tomato farmers say they're "rolling the dice" as they plant their crops amid tumultuous markets. Demand for canned tomato products has risen during the pandemic, but sales to restaurants and other food-service customers have dropped. Farmers say they're maintaining their planting plans for processing tomatoes that will be harvested this summer, and that they have also adjusted operations to accommodate new employee safety measures during the pandemic.

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture continue to decline, according to government data analyzed by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The AFBF analysis says agriculture accounts for less than 10% of total U.S. emissions. On a per-unit basis, methane emissions from livestock operations have declined, even as production has risen, and crop farmers have been able to grow more on fewer acres.

(Source: California Farm Bureau)