Farming Practices Jan 11

Mike Stephens

News Reporter

Association Testifies at Air District Meeting on Farming Practices.

Recently, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District held a workshop on potential amendments to Rule 4550 – Conservation Management Practices.

The potential changes stem from a commitment in their 2018 PM2.5 State Implementation Plan to further evaluate ways to promote conservation tillage practices and other potential enhancements to their Conservation Management Practices Program to reduce dust from ag operations. Specifically, the District is considering more widespread adoption of conservation tillage, and possible control measures on land that is fallowed and then worked up.

California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association President and CEO Roger Isom testified at the workshop encouraging the district to take their time before any control measures are proposed. Isom stated that any potential measures must be based on actual scientific data obtained through actual scientific measurements, as was the case with most of current adopted Conservation Management Practices.

Isom also commented that the potential measures must have an actual impact on reducing PM2.5 during the critical times of the year. This rule development process for these changes is just beginning and the Association will be involved throughout the process.

The California Cotton Growers Association was founded in 1990 after its predecessor; the Western Cotton Growers Association had operated since 1949.

The Western Cotton Growers Association was founded in 1949 as a cotton organization representing the interests of Arizona, California, and New Mexico cotton growers.