ADVOCACY REPORT
Long-Term Actions Funding California is lagging far behind other states when it comes to making investments in its ports. According to the California Association of Port Authorities President Daniel Wan, there is a nearly 11 to 1 imbalance in investments made by other states in their ports versus the investments made by California in areas such as infrastructure, marketing, and coordination at the ports. This is not acceptable. The recently approved federal infrastructure measure contains $17 billion for ports nationwide, which is a start. However, the state must also make funding a priority now. Ag Council understands Governor Newsom’s upcoming January budget proposal will likely contain funds for port upgrades. Trucking Trucking is a major aspect of goods movement and is also connected to the congestion at the ports and posing a significant challenge to the movement of agricultural products. Nationwide, the U.S. is experiencing a shortage of 80,000 truckers and California is embarking on an environmental transformation in the trucking industry, which will further constrain the number of trucks commercially available on the market. Along with temporarily securing increased weight limits on trucks moving perishable products, Ag Council has worked with CDFA and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to take a deeper look at the movement of agricultural products. The goal is to find policy options to increase the number of drivers and determine a path forward on environmental regulations to meet air quality regulations while smoothly moving our products in the future. Conclusion California prides itself on being at the forefront of many policy issues and its participation in the supply chain should be at the cutting edge of technology and its investments should be the envy of the world.
We need more accountability and strong leadership to help coordinate with all levels of government and the private sector going forward. Ag Council stands ready to work with officials as we take steps to overcome obstacles and develop a more resilient supply chain now and in the future. If you have feedback regarding the supply chain crisis, please email me at: emily@agcouncil.org.
Emily Rooney, Ag Council President
U P COM I NG E V E N T
Please Join Ag Council for our 103 rd Annual Meeting
Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa March 14–16, 2022
Registration and additional details will be available in early January 2022 at: www.agcouncil.org. Please email dani@agcouncil.org with any questions.
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A L M O N D F A C T S
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