HR 18
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Date of Hearing: March 9, 2023
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
James Ramos, Chair
HR 18 (Robert Rivas) – As Introduced March 1, 2023
SUBJECT: California Agriculture Day.
SUMMARY: Recognizes and honors all those who work in California agriculture for their
dedication and productivity by designating Tuesday, March 21, 2023, as California Agriculture
Day and by observing March 21, 2023, as National Agriculture Day. Specifically, this
resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1) March 21, 2023, is designated as California Agriculture Day, a day of celebration to
commemorate agriculture’s importance in our daily lives, its vital role in keeping
Californians nourished, and its role in keeping the state’s economy ranked as the fifth largest
in the world.
2) The theme of California Agriculture Day 2023 is “Cultivating Community & Opportunity” in
recognition of the essential role agriculture plays in producing a safe, abundant, and
affordable food supply through the strength of an increasingly diverse and inclusive
community.
3) For more than 60 consecutive years, California has been the number one agricultural state in
the nation, producing more than 400 crop and livestock products and accounting for
approximately 50 percent of the nation’s supply of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
4) Farming and related industries employ more than 21.6 million people, making up over 10
percent of employment in the United States.
5) Today’s agricultural industry offers over 200 challenging and rewarding career opportunities,
from on-farm cultivation to food science and engineering.
6) California is the nation’s leader in agricultural exports, shipping $20.8 billion of food and
agricultural commodities around the world in 2020.
7) Public-private partnerships are continually being developed to improve quality and ensure
safe handling practices on the farm, in transit, and during processing.
8) California consumers say that it is important to them to purchase food items grown in the
state and they have demonstrated increased support of farmers’ markets, community-
supported agricultural programs, and Farm to School programs.
9) California is estimated to lose 500,000 acres of agricultural land by 2050, and more than
300,000 acres of it will have been highly productive irrigated cropland, and thus California
should continue to work for conservation to preserve California’s agricultural heritage.
FISCAL EFFECT: None
 HR 18
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by: Michael Erke / RLS. / (916) 319-2800