In Governor Gavin Newsom’s ‘May Revise’ of the state’s budget, several changes were made that will affect the agriculture industry. There were significant increases made to the funding allocated for a variety of programs and initiatives from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
An additional $3.3 million will be made available to combat virulent Newcastle disease in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura Counties. So far, the disease has required the euthanasia of nearly 1.2 million birds. Another $4.5 million has been allocated to prepare regulations and implement Proposition 12 which will require significant changes to the housing requirements for veal calves, egg laying hens and pigs.
The ‘May Revise’ nearly doubled the funding for the Healthy Soils Program, bringing the total funding amount to $28 million. An additional $10 million will also be made available for methane reduction, bringing the total amount budgeted for the effort this fiscal year to $35 million.
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