A recent study commissioned by the strawberry sector found that California growers spend at least 7% of their budget on compliance reporting costs. An intern at CDFA two years ago mapped out at least 150 regulations that farmers must comply with, according to CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
During a budget hearing this week, Ross was making the case for developing a central reporting hub for state agencies. She said this would streamline agency operations, save money for growers and provide “a good package of relief for our farmers and ranchers,” especially for smaller operations.
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On that note, CDFA now has a Food Recovery web portal. It shows how agriculture has been recovering food for animal feed, industrial uses and composting, and how consumers can help.
