June 2024
farmbureaunews Meeting today’s challenges. Planning for tomorrow.
san joaquin
Vol. 109 No. 6
TOP STORY
JUNE IS DAIRY MONTH
Orchard and vineyards removed but viruses cause burn permit issues
Dairy production costs exceed revenue By Vicky Boyd
SJ County Supervisor Robert Rickman said he has urged the regional air board to restore funding for the Ag Burn Alternatives Program, which helps underwrite the cost of chipping orchards and spreading the leftover material.
By Craig W. Anderson AIR POLLUTION is an issue for
agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley and San Joaquin Farm Bureau members face challenges meeting air pollution control
board mandates. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has, over the past decade, provided funding for multiple programs with See Air, page 9
INSIDE: 2 Next SWEEP
applications due Aug. 15
w w w.sjf b.org
Vicky Boyd
Vicky Boyd
ALTHOUGH MILK TOPPED
San Joaquin County’s 2022 agricultural crop report, today’s picture is far different as dairy prices have fallen significantly and production costs exceed revenue in most cases. Producers have responded by making some tough decisions, including deferring maintenance and repairs, keeping lower-producing cows they’d normally replace, and in the worst cases getting out of the business entirely. “This is probably a lot worse than ’09 in that you can’t make budget,” said Hank Van Exel, a third-generation dairy producer and owner of Van Exel
San Joaquin County currently is home to 71 active dairies, down from 74 at the same time in 2023 and 86 in 2021.
Dairy near Thornton. He was referring to the financial crisis created by the 2009 global recession, when export demand for dairy products plummeted, the world market was awash
3 SJ County ag dodges bullet from late rain, cherries doing well
in milk and dairy producers were faced with historically high feed costs. While today’s milk prices See Dairy, page 6
12 Join us June 20
for our 110th Annual Meeting
san joaquin far m bur eau news
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