The good news is that the Almond PMA has been granted funding for
the year 2000 to continue with the three demonstration orchards
and field days in the northern, central and southern almond
growing regions of California. In response to the positive work
being done by PMA's throughout the state, the California
Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) will fund multiple year
projects beginning in 2001.
The PMA Team will be preparing a proposal to be submitted in
April of 2000 which will seek funding for an additional four-year
demonstration period. DPR recognizes the time and effort it takes
to establish good demonstration
projects and collect quality data. It takes multiple years to
really show what is working in the orchard and to build growers'
confidence in the reduced risk systems.
The Almond PMA is confident that it has and will continue to show
significant economic and pesticide risk reduction benefits to
California almond growers as well as reflecting a high degree of
technical and administrative excellence. The Almond PMA looks
forward to the opportunity to continue to provide growers with
information, hands-on field days, improved monitoring techniques,
and grower to grower information sharing.