Ag News: Costa for House Ag Chair
**A coalition of California farm and water district groups has formally asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to appoint Representative Jim Costa, a Fresno Democrat, as the new chair of the House Ag Committee.
In a letter sent Friday, the 70 organizations said Costa “possesses the experience and leadership adeptness” to serve effectively.
The position opened last week when the current chair, Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson was defeated for re-election.
**A new study shows almost a two-fold difference in the total economic cost of producing milk between the nation’s smallest and largest dairy farms.
According to milkbusiness.com, in the USDA’s report to Congress, dairy farms with fewer than 50 cows had a total economic cost $33.54 per hundred weight, while herds of 2,500 cows had a cost of $17.54.
The study used data from 2016, which had the lowest milk price of the decade and the lowest since 2009.
**It’s still a fairly small crop in California, but farmers and marketers say they foresee growth for pecan production in the state.
Markets for pecans have been hampered this year by the pandemic and international trade tensions, but farmers expect long-term growth for pecans as a snack nut as well as an ingredient.
This year’s pecan harvest is well underway in the Sacramento Valley and began last week in the San Joaquin Valley.
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