BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 707
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 707 (Cannella and Wolk)
As Amended June 21, 2011
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :33-2
AGRICULTURE 9-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Galgiani, Valadao, Bill |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Berryhill, Hill, Ma, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Mendoza, Olsen, Perea, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Yamada | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| | | |Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : This bill adds olive trees, except for ornamental
olive trees, to the tree types that a special assessment is paid
on to fund research, provides virus tested and disease free
stock, true-to-type validations, and authorizes contracting for
research. Further, it adds a licensed olive nursery
representative to the program's advisory board, reduces the pome
fruit representation from two to one, and makes technical
conforming changes.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this new special assessment on olive stock would
generate approximately $20,000 per year, going to Special Funds.
COMMENTS : This special assessment and advisory board was
authorized by the Legislature in 1987 to address concerns over
rootstock diseases and the propagation of clean and healthy
plant material. The advisory board is known as the Fruit Tree,
Nut Tree and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board (IAB). Since
the inception of IAB, California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) has developed registration and certification
services for the following: avocado, citrus, deciduous fruit
and nut trees, seed garlic, grapevine, and strawberry nursery
stock and nematode certification for nursery stock produced for
farm planting. Significant research has been conducted to
SB 707
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reduce and eliminate certain diseases and problems in farm
plantings of nursery stock.
Supporters of this bill state that adding olives to the
Foundation Plant Services program provides California nurseries
with plant materials that are disease-free and certified as
true-to-type. Over the past five years, olive oil plantings
have increased significantly and approach the largest in state
history. Further, the addition of olives to IAB allows the
study of diseases, such as verticillium wilt, which has
prevented olives from being planted in large areas of the
Central Valley. The inclusion of olive trees in IAB will help
ensure that nurseries and olive farmers have certified
disease-free trees that are true-to-type, and that California
will have a healthy olive industry. Further, with the
increasing number of varietal specific oils being produced and
marketed, the true-to-type validation has an increasing
importance to farmers and consumers.
Analysis Prepared by : Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084
FN: 0002139