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Publications & Reports


California Animal Blood Banks Program – Report to the Legislature

As a result of increased specialization in veterinary medicine, the demand for animal blood products has risen dramatically. A safe and adequate supply of blood and blood component products for transfusion is vital to animal health. Commercial blood banks for animals produce and sell blood and blood component products, increasing the supply available for transfusions. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Animal Blood Banks program specifies current standards of care and practice for veterinary blood banks and works to ensure that animal blood and blood component products sold in California are efficacious and safe.


Soil Biodiversity iriculture

Framework and Indicators for Soil Health Assessment


Deferred Maintenance Legislative Report

The Supplemental Reporting Requirements to the Budget Act of 2019 required CDFA to report to the Legislature identifying the total size of its deferred maintenance backlog as of the 2018-19 fiscal year and as of September 2022. The language also required CDFA to identify the reasons for the increase in the size of the backlog and the specific steps CDFA plans to take to improve its deferred maintenance practices on an ongoing basis.


Ag Vision for the Next Decade - 2023

Ag Vision will guide areas of focus for CDFA and serve as a catalyst for action with farmers and ranchers, and other California agencies and partners.


CDFA Strategic Plan 2019 - 2022 n California Ag

Our strategic plan outlines the potential to make improvements in programs and services that advance CDFA's vital role in the success of California agriculture.


CDFA Technology Roadmap

This roadmap establishes a framework for future information technology (IT) investments within CDFA.


California Agriculture – The Focus is Forward: CDFA's 2021 Report

Updates on programs, projects and policies at the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2021.


CDFA 2019-2020: An Era of Productivity & Perseverance

Updates on programs, projects and policies at the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2019-2020.


Agriculture Emerging: Balanced Budgets, Big Decisions, Bright Future. (CDFA Fall 2014 Report)

Recent Efforts, Achievements, and Works in Progress at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Fall 2014.


Emulsifiable Concentrate Alternatives Analysis

Under contract to CDFA's Office of Pesticide Consultation & Analysis (OPCA), fifteen UC Cooperative Extension specialists contributed to a study of alternatives to emulsifiable concentrate (EC) pesticides that produce high levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. It is hoped that the study, which focused on eight key crops, will assist the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) in their effort to satisfy their mandated VOC emission-reduction goals in a manner that minimizes costs to California growers.


The Decline of Public Interest Agricultural Science and the Dubious Future of Crop Biological Control in California

As part of CDFA's ongoing study (funded by the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis) of the future prospects for utilizing biological control methods to manage arthropod pests in California production agriculture, this paper analyzes historical trends in institutional support for biological control research and implementation.


Olive Fruit Fly: Managing An Ancient Pest In Modern Times

Two University of California entomologists survey control methods for this key pest, with special emphasis on biological control. This research was partially funded by CDFA's Office of Pesticide Consultation & Analysis.


Annual Report: Plant Health & Pest Prevention Services

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division's (PHPPS) mission is legislatively mandated and clearly articulated within the California Food and Agricultural Code, as follows:

Mission — To protect California from the damage caused by the introduction or spread of harmful plant pests.

The California Legislature, enacting this mandate, also recognizes that pest prevention is uniquely positioned to protect California’s urban and natural environments as well as its agriculture. It specifically instructs the Department to protect ornamental and native plantings as well as agricultural crops from the harm caused by exotic pest invasions.


Evaluating Scientific Institutional Capacity For Biological Control: A California Study As A Model Regional Network Assessment

Partially funded by CDFA's Pesticide Consultation office, this paper discusses staffing and research emphasis trends in eight institutions engaged in arthropod biological control in California from 1962-2006. The paper was published in the Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods, Christchurch, New Zealand, February 8-13, 2009 (pp. 536-543).


Socio-Economic Analysis of the North American Commercial Natural Enemy Industry and Implications for Augmentative Biological Control

California growers practicing augmentative biological control rely on the commercial insectary business for natural enemies. Researchers at Santa Clara University and UC Berkeley report on their analysis of this industry as part of the CDFA Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis biological control project. Full Text on Author's Website


California Agricultural Productions Statistics

This directory presents the most recent information and data on the performance and output of agriculture in California. As the statistics and figures demonstrate, California's farmers and ranchers are real visionaries who have succeeded in developing new and better ways to produce food and fiber of the highest quality and with the greatest care for the environment.


Research Publications (Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab)

The scientists in the Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch perform active research programs. This site features the publications of the current scientific staff, historical publications out of the Branch, databases served from these programs, interactive identification tools, pest sheets, Branch Annual Reports, and the California Plant Pest and Disease Report.


Economic and Pest Management Evaluation of the Withdrawal of Chlorpyrifos: Six Major California Commodities

In this report, CDFA’s Office of Pesticide Consultation & Analysis and UC research scientists jointly analyze the economic and pest management implications resulting from the loss of chlorpyrifos in six major California crops.


Directory: Nurserymen and Others Licensed to Sell Nursery Stock in California:

To view the directory online or for information on how you can order this directory in electronic (CD-ROM) format, follow this link to Nursery Services.