BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2174
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 25, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2174 (Alejo) - As Amended: May 14, 2012
Policy Committee: AgricultureVote:7
- 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires the secretary of the California Department of
Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to use funding from the Fertilizer
Research and Education Program (FREP) to develop programs in the
following areas:
1)Education focused on a more efficient and sound use of
fertilizer, in order to minimize the environmental impact of
fertilizer.
2)Research to improve nutrient management practices, which would
result in minimizing the environmental aspects of fertilizer.
3)Technical assistance focused on a more efficient and sound use
of fertilizer.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Providing the education, research and technical assistance
specified in this legislation would require about $350,000 of
the $1 million spent annually by CDFA for current FREP
projects, if the funding is not already allocated to
multi-year projects.
2)Alternatively, the secretary may determine that rather than
shifting existing funding to this new activity, this bill may
require an increase in the assessment on fertilizer licensees.
Currently, the mil assessment is at mil ($0.0005) per every
dollar of sales, resulting in $1 million in funding for FREP.
Current law gives the secretary the authority to increase the
assessment to 1 mil ($0.001) per dollar of sales.
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COMMENTS
1)Purpose . This bill is in response to a March 2012 report from
the University of California at Davis' Center for Watershed
Sciences that detailed nitrate contamination in groundwater in
the state's two leading agricultural regions (Tulare Lake
Basin and the Salinas Valley). The report found for a quarter
million people that contamination is currently threatening
drinking water safety, with millions more Californians to be
affected in the future. The report found that agricultural
activities are responsible for 96% of the pollution, with
chemical fertilizer making up 54% of the sources.
This bill would use FREP funding for implementation projects
to assist farmers and ranchers with best management practices
for fertilizer use. The author notes that giving technical
assistance to agricultural producers would lead to more
efficient application of fertilizers, resulting in savings to
farmers, who would use less fertilizer, resulting in less
contamination of the state's water shed.
2)Support . The Ecological Farming Association contends this bill
is necessary because it focuses declining technical assistance
resources on the critical area of nutrient management planning
and related fertilizer use efficiency practices, which may
help reduce the amount of nitrate run-off in the state's
groundwater.
This support is echoed by various California farmers,
including Full Belly Farms, Bolthouse Farms, and Dixon Ridge
Farms.
3)Background . FREP was established in 1990 when California Food
and Agricultural Code Section 14611(b) authorized a mil
assessment on the sale of fertilizing materials, "to provide
funding for research and education regarding the use and
handling of commercial and organic fertilizers, including, but
not limited to, any environmental effects." The mil
assessment currently generates close to $1 million per year
for fertilizer research.
Since 1990, FREP's focus has expanded to include research on
many of California's important and environmentally sensitive
cropping systems, including almonds, tomatoes, cotton, citrus,
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wine grapes, horticulture, lettuce, and other cool-season
vegetables. To date, 40% of FREP's projects have been related
to developing, testing, and demonstrating various nutrient
tissue and/or soil testing procedures.
According to CDFA's FREP facts sheet posted to their web site,
over 20 years of FREP research projects have focused on
agronomic efficiency in the management of nutrients, precision
irrigation and fertilization trough irrigation practices, and
soil and fertilizer interaction. 2012 priorities include:
Comparisons of economically viable and commercially
ready, integrated fertility-water-soil management
approaches that preserve soil and water quality.
Nutrient requirements for high-value specialty crops or
emerging new crops in highly environmentally sensitive
areas.
Devising innovative techniques to improve fertilizer use
efficiency.
Over this period of time, FREP has provided $12 million in
funding for 160 technical, research, and education projects.
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081