(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The California citrus industry is in the process of adapting to a more competitive marketplace and to consumer tastes that continue to change. In the past five years, an estimated 40,000 acres of citrus have been removed from production and replaced with new varieties of citrus, a majority of which is mandarin fruit commonly called Clementines or W. Murcotts, which are intended to be seedless.
(2) According to the 2005 California Citrus Acreage Report, these varieties have increased substantially. In 2004, more than 10,000 acres of these varieties were bearing fruit. Another 2,000 acres began bearing fruit in 2005. The same report states that an additional 12,000 acres of these varieties have been planted but have yet to bear fruit. This production will come into maturity within the next three years, and more is being planted.
(3) Due to the production of other agricultural products in proximity to new seedless varieties of citrus, the production of these varieties may be in jeopardy. According to a University of California at Riverside study published in June of 2005, seedless mandarins command three to four times as much revenue as seeded mandarins. Other citrus-producing nations around the world have adopted citrus protection areas to limit damage created by cross-pollination.
(4) Honeybees are an essential component of agriculture as they pollinate approximately $6 billion worth of crops in California. Historically, honeybee colonies are placed in the citrus belt of Kern, Tulare, Fresno, and Madera Counties to support existing agricultural practices, including the pollination of several commodities and the production of honey. Colony Collapse Disorder has reduced the nation’s bee population by 25 percent in the past three years, which in turn has created pressure on other agricultural sectors that rely on a healthy bee population for pollination of their crops.
(b) Any regulation or best management practice adopted pursuant to this chapter shall not affect the actual pollination process of other commodities during their blooming cycle, nor shall it be implemented when almonds, avocados, peaches, plums, nectarines, seed crops, or other commodities require pollination.
(c) Any regulation or best management practice adopted pursuant to this chapter shall not affect the ability of property owners located within the area impacted by the regulation or best management practice to farm any commercial crop, including, but not limited to, honey, citrus, and other commodities recognized by the Department of Food and Agriculture.
(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 324, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)