Non agricultural jobs increased by 6,600 during the month for a total gain of 211,400 jobs since January, according to data released December 16 by the California Employment Development Department. The U.S. unemployment rate also fell in November to 8.6 percent.

In October, California's unemployment rate was 11.7 percent. In November 2010, the unemployment rate was 12.5 percent. Californians holding non-farm jobs totaled 14,170,100 in November. The number of  unemployed Californians was just over 2 million - down by 64,000 from October and 212,000 compared with November 2010.

The unemployment rate is calculated based on a federal survey of 5,500 California households. A larger survey of 42,000 businesses that is less variable statistically shows a  year-over-year  increase of 233,100 jobs, up 1.7 percent.

Earlier this week, Governor Brown appointed Herbert "Bert" Mason to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, where he previously served from 1999 to 2002. Mason is a professor emeritus at CSU, Fresno, where he taught from 1983 to 2010. Mason received his doctorate in agricultural economics from the University of California, Davis. In his previous stint on the board, Mason was known as a moderate voice attempting to achieve balance on these contentious issues.  

Pamela Harris has been appointed director at the California Employment Development Department. Harris has served as acting director at the California Employment Development Department since 2009, where she worked in multiple positions since 1979. She was assistant secretary for research and evaluation and acting agency information officer at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 2002 to 2004. The EDD manages the states job training programs and the formulas that determine unemployment rate in regions throughout California.

Without congressional action in the next 10 days, federal blenders' tax credits for all ethanol, all biodiesel and other biofuels will expire December 31, setting off a replay of 2010 when Congress failed to extend over 1,000 federal tax credits for business and individuals and eventually extended them retroactive for nearly a full year. However, there are those who contend if a deal is cut on the payroll tax break extension, and given a package of tax extenders has been circulating among key staff, Congress could opt to do simple extensions of several tax breaks. Corn-based ethanol is not considered a candidate for this extension possibility. However, failing any extension action, the tax extenders will be likely part of more comprehensive tax reform slated for 2012. Meanwhile, the Renewable Fuels Assn. (RFS), still stinging from a recent call to Capitol Hill by ag groups for hearings on the Renewable Fuels Standard's impact on the economy, sent a letter this week to EPA urging the agency to issue its volume requirements under the RFS for 2012 as soon as possible given the agency missed its November 30 deadline for notifying blenders and others. RFA wants the numbers immediately, an explanation of why the agency has delayed and for it to provide guidance to the industry on how to operate until the final rule is published.

In what has evolved into a game of political chicken, the GOP-controlled House this week refused to accept a Senate-passed two-month extension of the 4.2% Social Security/payroll tax reduction, insisting on a one-year deal and a conference committee with the Senate to reconcile the two bills. The problem is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, NV) has recessed the Senate until after the Christmas holiday, and refuses to call his chamber back for negotiations. Reid contends the Senate two-month approach was negotiated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, KY) at Boehner's request and passed the Senate on an 89-10 vote. House Speaker John Boehner (R, OH), under pressure from fiscal conservatives in his party, says he never blessed the Senate deal and there's ample time to compromise the two approaches and went so far as to name conferees this week. President Obama, sensing a win-win, verbally attacked House Republicans from the White House press room this week, knowing if the extension is passed, he can take credit; it if fails, he can blame the House GOP. Both chambers are technically in session next week and it's known staff discussions are on-going.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing this Federal Order to prevent the entry of Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium Everts) into the United States.

This Federal Order will be effective on January 17, 2012.

•  Federal Order and SPRO_Khapra Beetle Commercial Shipments_12-14-2011.pdf 

A decision by EPA to abandon plans to publish a revised draft dioxin risk reassessment and replace the single document with a dioxin non-cancer risk assessment to be released in late January, 2012 - with a reference dose (RfD) for exposure - and a cancer risk assessment was attacked this week as ill-advised, confusing to consumers and dangerous to the food and agriculture industry by the Food Industry Dioxin Working Group (FIDWG), a coalition of 20 organizations representing on-farm production, feed production, grain and oilseed processing, livestock, poultry, meat processing and food retailers. Dioxin is a chemical produced through combustion, and has within its family of chemicals PCBs and PBBs. Industrial dioxin emissions in the U.S. have been reduced by 92% over the past 15 years, and current human exposure is less than background level - the level normally found in the environment. EPA has tried since 1986 to finalize a risk reassessment, but each time it publishes its proposal, the proposed approach fails to pass scientific scrutiny.  

The coalition, in a detailed letter to several high-ranking members of the Obama Administration, including White House officials, USDA and the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), said the RfD contemplated by EPA is so low it effectively indicts all food products as potential sources of dioxin given the agency has told the public the main route of exposure is through the foods they eat. Further, the RfD is three times lower than that recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU), creating a serious potential for trade problems as well as public food safety concerns. The coalition asked EPA to publish a single document, but only after its scientific basis and methodology has been reviewed and blessed by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

The 5th Gordon Currie "Salty" Crab Feed / North Bay District Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 2012.  The event begins at 6:00 pm at Mister McGoos Restaurant located at 1375 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma, CA.  The cost is $45.00 per person and reservations are due by January 9th in care of Darrel Freitas.  Click here for flyer   

USDA this week announced it has deregulated Monsanto's Vistive Gold soybeans, genetically engineered to contain about 60% less monosaturated fatty acids than conventional soybeans. However, Monsanto's "stewardship" of a corn hybrid designed to ward off certain rootworms was questioned by EPA. The company already has low-linolenic acid soybeans on the market, but the company says the new generation extend fry life for restaurants using the soybean oil and are more stable at high temperatures than either conventional soybean oil or its already-marketed Vistive varieties. On the rootworm corn variety, EPA sent Monsanto a memo on November 22, saying its scientists recommend the company expand its monitoring program because rootworms were "suspected" in four midwestern states, an indicator the insects have or are developing resistance to the corn variety. Monsanto responded that it continues to work with farmers and continues to take reports on the performance of its corn rootworm products, and works with producers on adoption of integrated pest management practices.

Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) got a bit of a holiday gift with President Obama's signature of the FY2012 omnibus spending package this week, that gift being a reprieve from EPA plans to require in 2012 large livestock and poultry operations to increase their reporting of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. (CAA). However, an effort to include ammonia in the reprieve was unsuccessful despite a month-long push by several national, state and local agriculture organizations. In a related development, the comment period on an EPA proposal to increase reporting of CAFO wastewater discharges has been extended until January 19, 2012. The greenhouse gas action comes on the heels of the agency's announced plan to increase CAFO reporting requirements for ammonia and hydrogen sulfides, but EPA's funding portion of the omnibus spending package bars the agency from going forward with its greenhouse gas reporting plan as well as a rulemaking on reporting requirements for manure storage or stabilization systems with methane or nitrous oxide levels above a designated level.