A second effort is underway, seeking legislative action to help address the threat that broomrape represents in California. Assembly Bill 402 (AB 402) would establish a coordinated approach to mitigate the spread of this invasive species. Managing Director of the California Tomato Research Institute, Zach Bagley said the bill was first introduced last year. However, it did not receive the necessary support to move forward. There is hope that there will be more success in the current legislative session. “This year we’re seeing it’s gotten farther than it did in the prior year. Things look positive for that to move forward,” Bagley noted.
AB 402 seeks to address the issue that broomrape presents by establishing the Broomrape Program Board. This industry-funded board would operate under the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It would be comprised of 12 members, with at least three representatives from each designated district. The board’s primary responsibility will be to provide recommendations and guidance to the CDFA secretary in combating broomrape effectively. “We want to gather the minds of the industry and the resources of the industry to tackle it. We’re really hoping that AB 402 gets us farther down that track than we’ve gotten so far,” said Bagley.
The bill has garnered support from key entities such as the California Tomato Growers Association, California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, and the Solano County Board of Supervisors. AB 402 emphasizes the need for regulatory and legislative support to address the broomrape threat holistically.
“The exciting part of this here is that it’s not a voluntary effort by any independent groups, or a handful of groups, or just one region, or only concerned growers. It’s the whole industry coming together and recognizing this is a big enough issue that we’ve got to work specifically on this for a period of time,” Bagley noted. “Just little piecemeal efforts are not going to get the job done here and that’s why we’ve put this forward.”
Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West