SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California Assembly Member and Democratic Majority Whip Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) visited several nurseries and avocado groves located in San Diego's Fallbrook and Bonsall communities Thursday, July 30, 2009 to learn how the water crisis and invasive pest issues have affected their operations. Ma sits on the Assembly Food and Agriculture Committee and was accompanied on the tour by Nick Hardeman, her Capitol Director. The tour was hosted by California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers Executive VP Robert Dolezal, Nursery Growers Association board member Carl Pongs, the California Avocado Commission's Charley Wolk, and San Diego Farm Bureau representative Eric Larsen.

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The assembly member visited facilities of Euro-American Propagators (Bonsall), Sunlet Nursery (Fallbrook), avocado groves managed by Bejoca Co. (Fallbrook), and Maddock Nursery (Fallbrook).

Ma said her goal for the tour was to gain greater familiarity with the impacts of California's water crisis on greenhouse growers, floriculture nurseries, avocado growers, and avocado/citrus tree nurseries. Nursery and floriculture crops are the number one agricultural commodity in San Diego County, accounting for over $1 billion at farm-gate (wholesale) value according to San Diego County Agriculture Commissioner, Bob Atkins.

"It is gratifying to see these facilities doing so much already to conserve water and avoid polluted runoff," Ma noted. "Their accomplishments, which have reduced by more than half the water they use, make the impact of rising water rates and restricted supply a huge problem. They simply cannot achieve significant additional savings," she concluded.

The tour also gave her an opportunity to discuss the devastating effects of invasive plant pests and diseases and the need for continued funding of pest exclusion and plant health programs vital to agriculture.

Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaprepes Root Weevil, Red Imported Fire Ant, Light Brown Apple Moth, and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter were among the critical invasive pests discussed, along with the urgent need for continued funding of California's agriculture border inspection stations and the state's pest prevention programs. "Agricultural pest exclusion at our borders is as great a threat to food security and California's economy as stopping smugglers," Ma said.

"The nursery and avocado industry of San Diego are vital to California's economy," she continued. "To see avocado trees cut to the ground because adequate water is unavailable and nurseries suffering due to invasive pests is simply unacceptable." She told growers, "I appreciate your industries' plight and will reach out to colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in the administration to explore real solutions to help the water shortage and these invasive pest problems as soon as the legislature reconvenes."

Editor's Note: The California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers is a trade association founded in 1912 to promote the nursery business community. Nursery Growers Association is a non-profit association that fosters growth and development of quality stock and promotes the interests of wholesale nursery growers in California. The California Avocado Commission is a trade association for producers of avocado fruit. The San Diego Farm Bureau is an office of the California Farm Bureau Federation serving farmers and ranchers.

SOURCE California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers

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