DATE: December 11, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Les Wright, Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures
SUBJECT: Retroactive Cooperative Agreement for the Pink Bollworm Cotton Plowdown and Host-free Period Monitoring Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Cooperative Agreement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture for the Pink Bollworm Cotton Plowdown and Host-free Period Monitoring Program, effective November 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019, with a total reimbursement amount of $12,435.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the County to enter into an agreement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to reimburse the Department’s costs for cotton plowdown enforcement activities to support the pink bollworm eradication program.
This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Department will not receive funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for this mandated program, which may impact Net County Cost.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
This revenue agreement is retroactive to November 1, 2018. The Department received the agreement from the CDFA on October 24, 2018.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in net County cost associated with the recommended action. Fresno County will receive approximately $12,435 in revenue from CDFA to fund this mandated program. The estimated revenues and appropriations to fund the full cost of the program are included in the FY2018-19 Adopted Budget for Department of Agriculture Org. 40101003.
DISCUSSION:
On October 19, 2018, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the eradication of pink bollworm from all cotton-producing areas within the continental United States. Even though eradication has been declared, the California Food and Agricultural Code and the California Code of Regulations require that the Agricultural Commissioner enforce host-free period and plowdown regulations.
Pink bollworm is a pest that destroys cotton by burrowing inside unopened bolls. This type of larval damage prevents the cotton lint from developing correctly. These larvae can overwinter in the stalks of cotton plants. In order to have a host free period, cotton must be plowed down by December 20th (south of Shields Avenue) or December 31st (north of Shields Avenue); and planting cannot begin until March 10th of the following year. Each County’s Department of Agriculture inspects all cotton fields grown in their areas across the state for compliance with the host free period.
The agreement reimburses the County for the costs associated with administering the Cotton Plowdown and Monitoring program on 69,085 acres at a rate of $0.18 per acre.
On May 8, 2018, your Board authorized the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures to execute specific revenue agreements for FY 2018-19, which included this Pink Bollworm Cotton Plowdown and Host-free Period Monitoring Program. A provision within that Agenda Item authorized the Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures to execute these agreements, as long as the total reimbursement amount for each agreement was within 15 percent (15%) of the Department’s estimations. At that time, the Department estimated $6,300 in revenues for this program. The actual amount approved by the CDFA, $12,435, is outside the 15 percent allowance permitted by the prior Agenda Item; therefore, this agreement is brought before your Board individually for approval. The increase in funding is due to an increase in the reimbursement rate from $0.09 per acre in FY2017-18 to $0.18 per acre in FY2018-19.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 32, May 8, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander