California is home to the largest food and agriculture economy in the nation. Today, California agriculture is a $27 billion industry that produces more than 350 different crop and livestock commodities and generates more than $70 billion in related economic activity. As a member of the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture and the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Feinstein is committed to ensuring that California's agriculture interests are represented in Washington.

Senator Feinstein's record on agriculture includes support for:

• Crop Protection

Pierce's Disease - Senator Feinstein has secured federal dollars to support the California Department of Food and Agriculture's efforts to contain and control the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter - an insect that spreads Pierce's Disease. Her efforts have led to the allocation of $16 million to protect California's crops.

Protection Against Exotic Species - Senator Feinstein believes that exotic species pose a great threat to California agriculture and there is continued need for research and eradication projects. In her role on the Appropriations Committee in FY 2002, Senator Feinstein secured:

$1.6 million in research grants to study exotic pest diseases.

$8.5 million to help fight the Glassy Wing Sharpshooter

$1.96 million in research grants to study Pierce's Disease

$4 million for Fruit Fly exclusion and detection.

$1.6 million for viticulture research.

Senator Feinstein helped initiate and bring to a conclusion the CALFED process, which is a long-term program to protect and restore the Bay/Delta estuary. The agreement between the State of California and the Department of Interior provides additional water supply and more storage facility for all water users, including California agriculture.

Senator Feinstein voted for the Farm Bill to support agriculture in California. Among the provisions in the Farm Bill benefitting California are:

1. A provision which strengthens penalties for criminal violations of plant smuggling laws. Stronger penalties against smugglers will help protect agriculture from the invasion of foreign species.

2. A provision to reallocate sugar export quota shortfalls. Allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to reallocate any shortfall on exported sugar from supplying countries to other nations that would export more sugar cane to the US will provide more raw sugar to our independent refineries.

3. A provision that will allow California to join Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida as a state with a sugarcane allocation. Growers in the Imperial Valley have been growing sugarcane for about four years with the hopes they would be able to revive a stagnant industry in the Brawley area. Farmers will now be able to grow, refine, and market sugarcane -- adding to California's great and diverse agricultural production.

4. Increased funding for the Market Access Program, which helps develop foreign markets for many California crops.

5. A provision to extend a crop insurance pilot program to California. The bill allows California growers to qualify for Adjusted Gross Revenue Crop Insurance, a unique risk management tool provided by USDA to give producers a "self help" option of insuring a portion of their farm income.

Senator Feinstein also supported an amendment to the Farm Bill that would help farmers recover from natural disasters by providing federal disaster assistance.

Senator Feinstein has also secured funding for research facilities in California to study apple pest control research, wheat aphids, the sweet potato whitefly, Pierce's disease, the grape virus and grape phylloxera, as well as research alternatives to methyl bromide.

California agriculture links

California Farm Bureau

California Department of Food and Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture