BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    ACR 147


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          Date of Hearing:   March 8, 2016


                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES


                                    Gordon, Chair


          ACR  
                     147 (Dodd) - As Introduced  February 29, 2016


          SUBJECT:  California Agriculture Day


          SUMMARY:  Recognizes and honors men and women of California  
          agriculture for their dedication and productivity by observing  
          March 15, 2016, as National Agriculture day, and designating  
          March 16, 2016, as California Agriculture Day.  Specifically,  
          this resolution makes the following legislative findings: 


          1)March 16, 2016, is designated as California Agriculture Day, a  
            day of celebration to commemorate agriculture's importance in  
            our daily lives, its vital role in keeping Californians  
            nourished, and its role in keeping the state's economy ranked  
            as the eighth largest in the world.



          2)For more than 60 years, California has been the number one  
            agricultural state in the nation, producing more than 400 crop  
            and livestock products and accounting for approximately 50  
            percent of the nation's supply of fruits, vegetable, and nuts.



          3)Today's agricultural industry offers over 300 challenging and  
            rewarding career opportunities, from on-farm cultivation to  
            food science and engineering.









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          4)California is the nation's leader in agricultural exports,  
            shipping more than $21 billion of food and agricultural  
            commodities around the world in 2014.



          5)Public-private partnerships are continually being developed to  
            improve quality and ensure safe handling practices on the  
            farm, in transit, and during processing.



          6)California consumers say that it is important to them to  
            purchase foods grown in California and consumers say that  
            "California grown" is more important to them today than in  
            years past.  In the last decade, California consumers have  
            increased support of certified farmers' markets, community  
            supported agricultural programs, and farm-to-school programs.



          7)California is estimated to lose 500,000 acres of agricultural  
            land by 2050, more than 300,000 acres of which have been  
            highly productive irrigate cropland.  California should  
            continue to work for conservation to preserve California's  
            agricultural heritage.
          FISCAL EFFECT:  None


          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:


          Support


          None on file


          Opposition
          None on file








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          Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800