New California Ag Laws and Combine Sales Healthy in 2022

**New California laws, which went into effect New Year’s Day, are expected to impact farm operations and exports.

Key legislation passed last year includes Assembly Bill 2406 intended to keep international ocean carriers from imposing onerous cargo detention and demurrage charges on farm goods delayed at California ports.

Another bill allows labor unions to organize ag employees by collecting signatures instead of holding secret-ballot elections, which could lead to union intimidation.

**Combine harvester sales finished 2022 with healthy gains in unit sales while ag tractors finished below 2021 levels in both the U.S. and Canada.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers says total U.S. ag tractor unit sales fell during December and the whole year when compared with 2021.

U.S. combine sales grew 16% in December and finished 2022 almost 16% higher than the previous year.

**Delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 104th annual convention adopted policies that will guide the organization’s work in 2023.

Key topics ranged from expanding risk management programs and improving dairy pricing transparency to battling hunger.

President Zippy Duvall says, there’s a lot of work to do in 2023 as Congress drafts the next farm bill, and the policies that will guide AFBF as we work to ensure farmers and ranchers continue to meet our growing needs.