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YOUR DUES DOLLARS AT WORK CCA PRESIDENT PROVIDES "STATE OF THE INDUSTRY" UPDATE TO STATE FOOD & AG BOARD by CCA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur The California State Board of Food and wolf management. Agriculture gathered in Sacramento on Aug. 6 Arnold began by addressing the issue to hear a “State of the Industry” update from du jour: market trends in the industry. While leaders in California’s agricultural community. representatives of milk producers and wine Among the speakers invited to share their grape growers echoed Secretary Ross’s concerns perspectives on current industry trends was CCA about “challenging market conditions,” Arnold President Steve Arnold, Santa Margarita. shared a more optimistic outlook from the cattle The Board of Food and Agriculture advises sector. Governor Gavin Newsom and Food and “I might be the only person at this table that Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross on issues can actually say that our industry is doing fairly confronting California agriculture and the well right now,” Arnold said. “We’ve had two needs of its consumers, regularly convening really good years of rainfall back-to-back, which issue-oriented forums to help shape their rarely happens, so we have a grass crop, and we recommendations. have a market that we haven’t seen in history at The Board’s August meeting was squarely this point.” Arnold acknowledged that today’s focused on market trends and the state’s favorable market trends were borne from years agricultural economy. Ahead of the meeting, of economic challenges for cattlemen, however, Secretary Ross noted, “California’s farmers and noting that “we got here because of the drought ranchers are experiencing challenging market conditions that we faced and the elimination conditions,” with high input costs and tumbling of cows over the 17-year cycle from 2007 until commodity prices eroding on-farm profitability. today.” Board President Don Cameron, himself a farmer, While Arnold took a positive tone on the echoed those concerns ahead of the hearing, marketing issues driving the hearing, he spent saying that “it’s challenging, across the board for the bulk of his time illuminating some of the farmers, farmworkers and rural communities.” major concerns facing California beef producers. While the Board’s morning sessions Echoing comments from the California focused on agricultural land and lease values Association of Family Farmers, Arnold addressed and overviewing agricultural market trends, ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 the Board spent the afternoon pressing representatives of the agricultural community on the state of the industry, aiming to “hear farm perspectives to help inform policy and programs at the federal, state and local level,” according to Secretary Ross. CCA’s Arnold provided his insights on industry trends in the afternoon alongside representatives of the California Association of Family Farmers, the Allied Grape Growers and the Milk Producers Council. With only 10 minutes allotted to share his insights on the state of the cattle industry, Arnold could not provide a comprehensive update on producers’ concerns, but he addressed a number of CCA’s priority issues, from CCA President Steve Arnold also shared some thoughts about the state transportation regulations to gray of the beef industry with Sacramento's ABC Channel 10. 18 California Cattleman September 2024