Nick Papagni, “The Ag Meter”, speaks with Nick Anderson, Western Division Retail Manager for Helena Agri-Enterprises. With over 500 locations nationwide, Helena faces unique challenges operating in California compared to other states.
Anderson highlights that while Helena shares best practices nationwide, California’s regulatory landscape consistently stands apart. “You’ve got to do so much to make the application,” Anderson notes, citing strict Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) requirements and the mandatory licensing of pest control advisors (PCAs).
The complexity doesn’t stop at regulations. Anderson emphasizes that compliance also includes maintaining education hours for advisors, not to mention the higher cost of doing business—driven largely by fuel prices.
“It’s going to take a little bit more to do things in California than it does in Arkansas,” he says, underlining the elevated operational costs in the state.
California’s significance in the national food supply also compounds these issues. “California produces over 50 percent of the nation’s food,” Anderson states. Yet water scarcity and reduced acreage due to irrigation challenges are limiting growers’ abilities to expand.
“Think about that for a minute,” he adds. “That food’s got to come from somewhere.”
Stay tuned to AgNet West for more updates from the field.
Read more on, and hear, Nick Anderson’s full interview.