California Farm Bureau News Briefs

Pesticides

About 97% of fruits and vegetables sold in California had either no detectable pesticide residues or had residues below federal health-protective limits, according to a report released last week by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Results of the annual produce monitoring report are based on 3,544 produce samples collected in 2023 by DPR staff from more than 500 locations statewide. The unpeeled, unwashed samples are tested for 500 types of pesticides and related compounds. Samples are considered illegal when detections exceed health-protective “tolerances” set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The report shows 39% of the samples had no detectable pesticide residues, 58% had no pesticide residues above EPA tolerances, and 3% had illegal residues.

Of the 1,059 produce samples labeled as “grown in California,” less than 1% had pesticide residues above EPA tolerances. Of the 96 samples with illegal pesticide detections, 83% involved imported produce. Of 379 samples labeled as organic, 2% had illegal residues.

U.S.-grown produce continues to have significantly less illegal pesticide residue than imported produce, DPR said. Fruits and vegetables from Mexico continued to show high percentages of illegal residues in 6% of the 1,132 samples taken. Ecuador had the highest percentage of violations, with 23% of the 13 samples taken, followed by Guatemala, with 10% of 21 samples, and China, with 9% of 11 samples. 

In 2023, DPR issued 103 quarantine notices for more than 154,000 pounds of produce carrying illegal pesticide residue. DPR referred nine cases of illegal California-grown samples to agricultural commissioners in Fresno, Imperial, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus and Ventura counties for further for investigation.

Some produce with high percentages of violations included: yard-long beans, in four of four samples; cactus pear, in three of five samples; guava, in three of seven samples; dragon fruit, in three of four samples; chayote, in two of 14 samples; cilantro, in two of 14 samples; and pineapple, in four of 32 samples.

Subsidence

To address the state’s land subsidence, the California Department of Water Resources last week released a draft best management practices document and is accepting public comments until Sept. 22.

Once finalized following public review, the document will help local groundwater agencies limit land elevation subsidence in California’s groundwater basins regulated and managed under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 

DWR said the document does not replace existing local, state or federal regulations but serves as a resource that local agencies can add to their water management toolkit.

Many California groundwater basins, particularly in the Central Valley, are affected by subsidence, which occurs when excessive pumping causes soil particles to collapse and compact the earth, lowering the land elevation. Subsidence can damage critical infrastructure, including canals, pipelines, wells and levees. 

DWR will hold in-person meetings to provide an overview of the draft document and for people to ask questions and provide comments. The meetings are set for Sept. 9 in Delano, Sept. 10 in Clovis and Sept. 11 in Willows. Learn more at https://water.ca.gov/News/Public-Notices/2025/Jul-25/DWR-Opens-60-Day-Public-Comment-Period-for-Draft-Best-Management-Practices-Document-on-Subsidence.

Water storage

The Sites Reservoir Project, an off-stream reservoir proposed north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, could break ground in 2026, according to an announcement this month by the Sites Project Authority. 

The authority said two major advancements that move the project closer to construction are contractor outreach and two key environmental permitting milestones. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued the biological opinion for construction of the project, and in early July, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a key permit required to modify local waterways in the construction site.