California citrus growers are navigating a complicated landscape of water shortages, labor concerns, trade uncertainty, invasive pests, pesticide regulations, rising costs and increasing competition from imported fruit.
In the latest interview with “The Ag Meter,” Nick Papagni sat down with Jacob Villagomez, director of governmental affairs for California Citrus Mutual, to discuss the issues affecting California citrus growers and the industry’s future.
Villagomez grew up in Sanger, where his parents are citrus growers. After attending Fresno State and participating in the Maddy Institute’s governmental affairs program, he entered public-sector work before joining California Citrus Mutual. Nearly five years into his role, he views growers as his constituency and works to make sure their concerns are heard in Sacramento and Washington.
California Citrus Still Depends on Hand Labor
Technology has changed many aspects of citrus production, but fresh-market citrus remains highly dependent on hand labor.
California does not have a mechanical harvesting system readily available for fresh-market citrus. Because appearance is critical when fruit reaches grocery stores, growers rely heavily on workers to carefully harvest the crop.
Packing houses have become more technologically advanced, with automated sorting systems helping determine fruit grade, size and destination. Growers have also adopted precision irrigation and precision spraying.
But the industry’s labor needs remain substantial.
Villagomez said California citrus depends heavily on migrant and immigrant workers, making immigration reform and the H-2A program important issues. He noted that labor needs can look very different in the Midwest, where row crops are often highly mechanized, compared with California’s specialty-crop sector.
Water and Heat Add More Pressure
Water remains one of the industry’s biggest concerns.
California’s increasingly intense heat can stress citrus trees, contribute to leaf curling, cause sunburn-related scarring and sometimes contribute to fruit drop. Water stress can compound those problems and affect how much fruit ultimately gets harvested, packed and marketed.
California’s climate also stands in sharp contrast to Florida. While Florida citrus growers deal with their own serious disease pressures, California growers operate in a much drier environment.
That makes reliable water supplies critical to the industry’s long-term viability.
Trade Is Critical to California Citrus
Trade was one of the central topics in Papagni’s conversation with Villagomez.
California citrus relies heavily on export markets, and Villagomez said shipments to China have declined substantially since the Trump administration came into office. The industry remains hopeful that additional market access can eventually be restored, but diplomatic issues must first be addressed.
Canada is particularly important because Villagomez identified it as California citrus’s No. 1 market.
Trade uncertainty can have immediate consequences. Villagomez recalled Canadian tariff actions that resulted in shipments being frozen, orders being canceled and packing houses suddenly facing disrupted business.
He stressed that losing a foreign market can have consequences long after a tariff dispute ends.
“When you lose market access, it takes a number of years to regain that access,” Villagomez said.
Argentine Lemons Put Pressure on California Growers
The influx of Argentine lemons is one of the industry’s most immediate trade concerns.
Villagomez said California growers are not seeking to stop imports. Instead, they want a more balanced market that recognizes the substantially higher costs California growers face for labor, water, fertilizer and regulatory compliance.
The issue is especially serious when Argentine lemons arrive at the same time California growers are marketing their crop.
Ventura County lemon growers have been particularly affected, with prices trending downward as imported volumes increase.
California Citrus Mutual is seeking federal relief through a tariff-rate quota, or TRQ, system. Such a mechanism would establish a volume threshold for imports, with a higher tariff applying to product entering above the quota.
Villagomez said CCM has raised the issue with the USDA, California’s congressional delegation and U.S. Trade Representative officials.
The goal, he emphasized, is not to eliminate imports but to create greater balance between imported and domestic production.
FDA Orange Juice Change Could Help Mandarins
There was also positive news for California citrus.
Villagomez highlighted the FDA’s modernization of the federal standard of identity for pasteurized orange juice.
The updated standard increases the allowable amount of juice from mandarins or mandarin hybrids in pasteurized orange juice from 10% to 15%. The Brix requirement also decreases from 10.5 to 10.
For California growers, the mandarin change could be especially important because it creates another potential outlet for fruit.
Villagomez said the change could increase mandarin utilization, help support a stronger juice-price floor and provide another market opportunity for California mandarin growers.
The change is particularly notable because California and Florida have very different citrus industries. Florida sends approximately 90% of its citrus crop to juice, while California sends approximately 90% to the fresh market.
New Research Targets Citrus Greening
California is also expanding its role in citrus research.
Researchers are working to develop citrus trees and rootstocks capable of tolerating or resisting Huanglongbing, or HLB, commonly known as citrus greening. The disease is associated with the Asian citrus psyllid and is a major concern for the citrus industry.
The National Citrus Breeding Program began in Fort Pierce, Florida, but California citrus interests pushed for the national program to expand beyond Florida.
Through partnerships involving the Citrus Research Board and USDA Agricultural Research Service personnel, a citrus breeding facility is being developed at the ARS site in Parlier.
The California program could eventually produce trees and rootstocks better suited to the state’s climate, growing conditions and disease challenges.
Regulation and Policymaker Education Matter
California growers face another challenge in navigating state and federal regulations.
Villagomez said invasive pest threats can change from year to year, requiring flexible regulations and access to new pest-management tools.
California’s separate regulatory system can also make registering new pesticide chemistries a longer process.
Educating policymakers is another major part of Villagomez’s job.
He believes the best way to help legislators understand agriculture is to get them out of their offices and into the field. Farm tours, packing-house visits and direct conversations with growers can provide a perspective that is difficult to achieve in a Capitol meeting.
The same approach, he said, should be used with children and consumers.
People need to understand that food does not simply appear at the grocery store. Water, labor, technology, research and enormous effort go into producing the oranges, mandarins, lemons and other crops consumers purchase.
California’s Next Governor Will Matter to Agriculture
The upcoming California governor’s election could have significant implications for agriculture.
Villagomez said the governor controls hundreds of appointments, including the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, as well as appointments involving agencies such as the California Air Resources Board and State Water Resources Control Board.
California Citrus Mutual has had discussions with both major gubernatorial campaigns.
Regardless of who wins, Villagomez said agriculture needs a governor willing to pay attention to the industry’s concerns and work with the Legislature.
Keeping the Next Generation on the Farm
The future of California farmland is another major concern.
High land prices, rising costs and regulatory challenges can make it increasingly difficult for young people to take over family farms.
Villagomez acknowledged that when agricultural land is sold for development, it is often extremely difficult to return that property to farming.
Ironically, Villagomez himself was once encouraged to stay away from agriculture because his family considered farming risky. Today, he hopes that he and his own family may eventually grow citrus.
Listen to the Full Interview
From trade and Argentine lemons to water, labor, regulations, HLB research, the FDA’s orange juice standard and the future of California farming, Jacob Villagomez’s conversation with “The Ag Meter” Nick Papagni provides an inside look at the issues shaping California citrus.
Villagomez closed with a simple message to California consumers: buy more California citrus.
Valencia oranges are available during the summer season, with Navels, mandarins and other varieties coming as the fall season progresses.
And when Papagni asked Villagomez about his favorite citrus, the answer was simple: grapefruit.
To hear Villagomez explain the challenges and opportunities facing California citrus in his own words, listen to the full interview with “The Ag Meter” Nick Papagni.
For more information about California Citrus Mutual, visit its website and learn more about the organization’s work on behalf of California citrus growers.