Study: California agriculture industry to lose billions of dollars due to COVID19

The study estimates that California farmers have already lost $2 billion and could lose up to $8.6 billion.

The economic impacts are disproportionately falling on workers in impoverished, rural counties such as Kern, Imperial, and Monterey.

TONIGHT WITH A NEWECONOMIC STUDY ONMONTEREY COUNTY'SLARGEST INDUSTRY --AGRICULTURE..A NEW STUDY ESTIMATESCALIFORNIA FARMERSHAVE ALREADY LOST $2BILLION DOLLARS DUE TOTHE COVID-19PANDEMIC....AND STAND TO AS MUCHAS $6.6 BILLION DOLLARSMORE ACTION NEWS 8REPORTER CHRISTOPHERSALAS IS LIVE IN SALINASNOW..WITH THE IMPACTS OFTHIS STUDY ONMONTEREY COUNTY..DAN THE AREA HARDESTHIT IN OUR COUNTYEMPLOYMENT...22,000 FARMWORKERSLOST THEIR JOBS INMONTERYE COUNTY...WHICH WAS BY FAR THEMOST IN THE STATE..JUST A DAY AFTERMONTEREY COUNTY'SCROP 2019 REPORTANNOUNCEDSUBSTANTIAL GAINS..A NEW OUTLOOK FOR2020 COULD SHOW THEOPPOSITE...DUE TO THE COVID-19PANDEMIC.104 05:57 "IT'S HAD A BIGIMPACT ON US." THECALIFORNIA FARMBUREAU'S REPORT SAYSBILLIONS OF DOLLARSHAVE BEEN LOSSED SOFAR THIS YEAR...THE TOP CROPS INMONTEREY COUNTY'S 4BILLION DOLLARINDUSTRY -- LEAFYGREEN LETTUCE --PROJECTED TO LOSE UPTO HALF A BILLIONDOLLARS IN THE STATE..105 02:00 "BUSINESS HASBEEN REALLY VOLATILE ANDAS A RESULT, WE'RE ALLTRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHATTHE DEMAND IS." JOEPEZZINI WITH OCEANMIST FARMS SAYS ASSHELTER-IN-PLACEORDERS ARE LIFTED...SALES ARE SLOWLYSTARTING TO PICK BACKUP..BUT THE PANDEMIC HASCREATED ANUNPRECEDENTEDAMOUNT OFUNCERTAINTY FORFUTURE DEMAND.105 03:19 "HOW MUCH DO INEED PER DAY, PER WEEK,PER MONTH ANNUALIZE ITAND THAT'S WHAT YOU WORKBACK TO.

WELL ALL THOSEFORECASTS WENT OUT THEWINDOW WHEN THELOCKDOWN WENT INTOEFFECT." THATUNCERTAINTY FORGROWERS..BUT THEIR CUSTOMERSAS WELL..105 03:49 "EVEN THERESTARURANT OPERATERS,THE FOOD SERVICEOPERATERS, EVEN THERETAILERS CAN'T TELL YOUTHAT.

THEY DON'T KNOW!"THE STUDY FOUND THEECONOMIC IMPACTS AREFALINGLDISPROPORTIONATELY ONWORKERS IN POORERRURAL COUNTIES..

SUCHAS MONTERYE..

KERNAND TULARE..104 04:50 "WE'VE HAD ASCARCITY FOR A NUMBER OFYEARS AND SO WE'VE HAD TOSUPPLEMENT WITH H2AWORKERS MORE AND MORE."ON TOP OF THAT...COSTS TO PROTECTTHOSE WORKERS HAVEINCREASED ..105 05:45 "THERE'S A COSTTO ALL OF THAT.OBVIOUSLY THE LONGER ITGOES, THE MORE IT'LL COST."ACCORDING TO THESTUDY ...THE COST OF THEPANDEMIC COULD BEFELT IN THE FIELDS OFMONTEREY COUNTY...FOR YEARS TO COME..AND THOSE NUMBERSYOU MENTIONED OFF THETOP DAN DON'T ACCOUNTFOR ALL THE SECONDARYINDUSTRIES THATDEPEND ON AG... THENUMBER COULD REACH13 BILLION DOLLARS.TO PUT THAT NUMBERINTO PERSPECTIVE...IT'S 3 TIMES MONTEREYCOUNTY ANNUAL