WASHINGTON, March 6, 2019 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that the January 2019 income over feed cost margin was $7.99 per hundredweight, triggering the first payment for eligible dairy producers who purchase the appropriate level of coverage under the new but yet-to-be established Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.
News
Draft of Revised Wage Order 14-2001 to the Office of Administrative Law
The Association has just received a draft copy of the revisions to Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order 14-2001 that were required by AB 1066. These changes become effective January 1, 2019, except as otherwise noted in the revised Wage Order for smaller employers of 25 employees or less. The proposed revisions were submitted to the Office of Administrative Law (“OAL”) on November 9, 2018, for legal review prior to implementation.
VCAA Seminar on ALRA
VCAA’s President and General Counsel, Rob Roy, a practitioner before the Agricultural Labor Relations Board for over 42 years, will be conducting a special seminar on the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA). The seminar will be conducted in English only is geared towards company owners, management and HR Representatives. The seminar will be conducted at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel on November 29, 2018, from 9:00am until Noon. The cost of seminar will be $35 per person to help to defray the cost of the room, re-production of materials, and refreshments.
H-2A Use Has Tripled in Ten Years
The number of H-2A certified job position has tripled in the last ten years, according to a series of reports issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In just-released statistics for fiscal year 2018 [https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/pdf/PerformanceData/2018/H-2A_Selected_Statistics_FY2018_Q4.pdf], the DOL reported that it had certified 86,014 H-2A job positions ten years ago, but the figure now is 242,762, an increase of more than 21 percent over fiscal year 2017.
USDA California Farm Service Agency State Committee has Approved Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome under the Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
The USDA California Farm Service Agency State Committee has approved Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome under the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Pistachio tree producers who incurred pistachio tree losses due to Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome (PBTS) are now able to sign-up under the Tree Assistance Program. The signup period for PBTS began October 15, 2018. For more information please send your producers to their nearest USDA Service Center. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.