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- Bankruptcies show stress in farm economy
- SJV WATER: Punjabi farmers gain few answers at workshop to address confusion over groundwater regulations
- Punjabi growers seek dialogue, answers from state water regulators
- Groups work to widen SGMA engagement
- Farms face ruin as groundwater law takes its toll
- PUNJABI AMERICAN GROWERS GROUP AG WORKSHOP MAY 18, 2024
Bankruptcies show stress in farm economy
After a four-year downward trend, U.S. farm bankruptcies are on the rise again, and with uncertainties about the impacts of U.S. tariffs on export trade, there’s growing concern that the financial health of farms across the country will continue to falter. A total of 216 U.S. farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy last year, up 55% from 2023. With 17 filings, California led the nation.
Punjabi almond growers group seeks almond board changes
A group of almond growers is requesting the Almond Board of California (ABC) change its focus. Citing increasing acreage and declining industry profits, the Punjabi American Grower’s Group (PAGG), based in Fresno, California, wrote a letter to Richard Waycott, ABC’s president and CEO, requesting ABC change its priorities.
Punjabi growers seek dialogue, answers from state water regulators
Central Valley growers fed up with reduced water allocations and pumping penalties are seeking answers from state Water Resources Control Board officials at a workshop Thursday in Visalia. The Punjabi American Growers Group, formed in 2020, is sponsoring the event, where the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and its implications for farming operations are on the agenda. All farmers are invited to attend. “We are answering questions on behalf of our members, but this really needs to be done by the state,” said Jasbir Sidhu, co-founder of the Punjabi American Growers Group. “Since SGMA passed, the outreach has not been done and a lot of people have questions and concerns.
Groups work to widen SGMA engagement
Makhan Singh had farmed in California for more than two decades when, in 2017, he bought a 300-acre ranch in Madera County. About half the ranch was planted with almonds. The other half was bare. To qualify for a mortgage, Singh agreed to plant almonds on the rest of the land, taking on more debt to make the long-term investment in the new trees.He had little reason to doubt the business plan. Almond prices were high. And while the land was in a “white area,” entitled to no surface water from an irrigation district.
PUNJABI AMERICAN GROWERS GROUP AG WORKSHOP MAY 18, 2024
The Punjabi American Growers Group, PAGG will sponsor an Agriculture Workshop on Saturday, May 18th from 8:00am to 3:00pm at the Madera Gurudwara Sahib, (the Sikh Temple) 23249 Avenue 14, Madera California. All are welcome to this event and it is an opportunity for growers and anyone interested in the challenges Central Valley farmers are facing.
PUNJABI AMERICAN GROWERS GROUP POSITION ON ALMOND BOARD ACTION JULY 20, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Punjabi American Growers Group Calls for Regulatory and Policy Reforms at the Almond Board of California. California, USA (July 20, 2023)- The Punjabi American Growers Group (PAGG), representing hundreds of Almond Growers across California, is fervently urging the Almond Board of California (ABC) to uphold the law and prioritize the almond industry’s future.
Land values plunge as groundwater law dims farm prospects
A disconnected well stands near an almond orchard in Madera County. Farmers in parts of the San Joaquin Valley have seen the value of their land decline this year as groundwater pumping restrictions tighten under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Janie Gatzman, almond grower, appraiser and former president of the California chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, in her orchard last month in Oakdale. Photo/Caleb Hampton