Guest blog- Rice Works in California

By Val Dolcini, State Executive Director
USDA Farm Service Agency – California

As the fall harvest continues for California’s 2,500 family rice farmers, let me say thanks to this important industry. These are the men and women whose businesses and operations contribute up to 25,000 jobs to the state economy, a fact worth highlighting these days.

The primary mission of my agency is to provide a “safety net” for our state’s farmers and ranchers. FSA and USDA programs offer a baseline of protection for nearly all of California’s farmers and ranchers who are highly exposed to risk from natural disasters, pests and invasive species, and other events that can cripple a family business. These “safety net” programs can make a real difference. When a farm or ranch fails, the underlying vitality of a community is weakened and that can lead to negative impacts on the rural communities where farmers and farm employees live and work.

Rural California depends on agriculture for jobs and economic growth and the annual revenue generated by the rice industry in California totals almost $2 billion. California is also a major player in Pacific Rim trade and our state’s rice industry is an extremely important contributor, not only to our own economy, but to the world’s diet and well-being, too. The recently announced Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama are good news for California producers, continuing to open doors in new and emerging markets that will benefit Golden State agriculture as well as our rural economies.

FSA is proud of its successful partnership with California rice farmers and will continue to work with all the state’s farmers and ranchers to keep the industry in good health. If you want to learn more about what the Farm Service Agency does in California, visit us at www.fsa.usda.gov/ca.