Food And Farm News
10-8-2025
Organic rice sector suffers growing pains
Despite strong demand for organic food products, some California organic rice farmers have struggled to compete with imports that have depressed prices. As a result, some organic growers in the Sacramento Valley said they don't expect domestic production of organic rice to expand, at least in the near future. "Organic is definitely crashing and burning in California," said Christopher Lopes, who farms regenerative organic rice with his father, Bruce, near Princeton in Colusa County. They pointed to imports from Argentina and Southeast Asia, which have flooded the market with inexpensive organic rice. The father-son team had been growing for a Sacramento Valley rice mill, which told them just before planting there would be no contracts for organic rice this year. In California, organic rice represents about 3.5%, or 21,000 acres, of the state's total rice acreage of more than 500,000 this season.
Backlash mounts against Proposition 50 in rural California
With Californians beginning this week to cast their votes on Proposition 50, groups representing rural constituents are pushing back against the ballot measure, which would allow the state Legislature to draw new congressional maps. The proposition was crafted by California Democrats-and championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom-in response to President Donald Trump urging Texas and other Republican-controlled states to redraw their congressional maps to benefit Republicans. California's proposed map aims to benefit Democrats largely by breaking up several rural districts and attaching the splintered voting blocks to urban-dominated districts. "Urban populations already have the loudest voice and the most representation in California politics, while rural communities struggle to be heard on important issues," California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass said. "This measure worsens that imbalance."
California farm leadership class travels out of state to widen perspective
Leadership Farm Bureau, a cohort of eight agricultural professionals developing leadership skills through a program run by the California Farm Bureau, traveled last month to Arkansas and Tennessee to learn from farmers and ranchers in a different part of the country. The tour included visits to fish, cotton and peanut farms, a cattle ranch and a cotton gin, and the Port of Memphis, which is one of the largest inland ports in the U.S. "The three-day trip also allowed us to see how Farm Bureau plays a critical role in making a positive impact in our industry, whether through outreach, financing or advocacy," Leadership Farm Bureau class members Tharvin Gill of Sutter County and John Tamayo of Imperial County wrote in an Ag Alert® article. "These experiences inspired us to return to the Golden State and be even stronger advocates for California farmers and ranchers."
Government shutdown impacts agriculture
With Congress unable to broker an agreement to keep the government funded last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has furloughed 42,000 of its employees, or about 50%. USDA will continue operations relating to some farm loan and conservation programs, core nutrition safety net programs, essential food safety operations, preparing and responding to wildland fires, and animal and plant health emergency programs such as New World screwworm. Operations most likely to cease include payment processing, disaster assistance, technical assistance, regulatory-related travel and training, trade negotiations, timber sales and long-term research studies. Many state and local offices across multiple agencies have closed, including most Farm Service Agency offices and several congressional district offices.
For more information about any story in Food and Farm News, contact the California Farm Bureau Marketing/Communications Division at 916-561-5550 or email news@cfbf.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram: @CAFarmBureau.
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